Tuesday December 4, 2018
Volume 15 Issue 3 Student publication of Corban University
Hilltop News
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JOY
Choosing
By Anna Benjamin Hilltop Staff
I
got a speeding ticket recently. I was driving in the fast lane going 76 mph in a 60 mph-zone. The police officer handed me my $165 ticket and left to immediately pull over another vehicle. Was I upset? Of course. Did I deserve the ticket? Of course, I broke the law. I suddenly owed money I didn’t really have, and without so much as a warning. Needless to say, I was embarrassed, ashamed and stressed out by the cost of the ticket. I was anything but happy in that moment, but, despite my bad luck, I took the ticket for what it was - a reminder to watch my speed. In that moment, I had the chance to choose joy. Joy has become a term that is used and tossed around more than a roll of Scotch tape at a gift-wrapping session. What does the word even mean? Here’s what we have to remember: happiness and joy are two very different things. Happiness is based on how we look, how we perform and how we feel in that fleeting moment. It’s temporary and – more often than not – completely out of our control. Joy, on the other hand, is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Students show off unique skills at annual talent show - pg 5
It takes time to grow and must be cultivated in our relationship with Christ. It’s a foundation we can grow from. Joy lasts because it comes from the unconditional and constant love of God. Even in our brokenness – or perhaps, especially in our brokenness – joy can be found. Just like the lyrics we are now hearing: “Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king.” Why do you think we sing “Joy to the World”? Because “joy” is not of the world. “Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength’” (Nehemiah 8:10). Joy lasts longer than happiness, not to mention it is far more satisfying. But it isn’t always comfortable or easy to find. We have to train ourselves to be people who seek it and hold on to it tightly, not letting ourselves be swayed by temporary frustrations or sadness. If happiness is like a dry erase marker, joy is like a Sharpie. It lasts and won’t get smudged by the first thing that rubs against it. It’s permanent. Job had all of his earthly comforts and treasures ripped away in a moment, yet he chose joy.
Students respond: What does Christmas mean to you? - pg 6-7
David was initially rejected as king, hunted down and threatened by his own people, yet he chose joy. Mary faced social shame, public humiliation and stoning to become the mother of the Savior, yet she chose joy. And ultimately, our Savior was crucified, born into a world of suffering, yet He became joy. Choosing joy is not just a thing of the past; it is a daily action, a lifestyle. However, to choose joy can be a painful thing, especially during the holidays. It appears in small things like speeding tickets or in big things like broken homes, depression and grieving because of loved ones who are no longer here to celebrate with us. Not everyone greets the season with the same jolliness and excitement as others. For some, the holidays can be downright depressing. The “most wonderful time of the year” often rekindles trauma and stress. Grief is not just something you shake off. It is an invisible wound many are left to tend to alone. I’m sure I’m not the only one who absentmindedly overlooks those who silently suffer during the holidays. But remember, the joy of the LORD is your strength. When you’re grieving a loved one. When relationships leave you broken. When you’re handed a speeding ticket. Choose joy.
Ruben Flores tells his story of seeing Jesus’ hand in his life - pg 8
Fall sport teams make it to Nationals, include many freshmen - pg 10
2 | Editorial
THE
HILLTOP Student publication of Corban University 5000 Deer Park Dr. SE Salem, OR 97317
Editor-in-Chief Megan Trahan Managing Editor Claire Kasten Photo Editor Michaela Sanderson Staff Writers Obiomachi Abonyi Mio Beard Anna Benjamin Trevor Bond Hannah Brumage Jessica McCourt David Miller Connor Morton Carol Sotoj Steven Sullivan Columnist Jessica Abbott Guest Writers Becky Weed Kelton Hedstrom Online Editor Jennifer Hutson Yearbook Editor Maddee Hawken
The Hilltop | December 4, 2018
Editorial: When God doesn’t speak Where do we find fear and uncertainty in life? In relationships? In our careers? In life in general? We worry. We ask God. But sometimes, God is silent. When we cry out to Him for an answer, He doesn’t cry back. We have all been there one time or another. God can be silent about whether or not we are supposed to talk to that one person who is always on our nerves. He can be silent on where we are supposed to go and what we’re supposed to do after we graduate. He can be silent when we ask for advice on how to deal with an argument between friends. In many other moments, we just don’t know what to do. And it sucks. We would love to have His answers loudly in our ear, always giving the right advice in clear, unmistakable language. “You should go to this church.” “Hang out with this person, not that person.” “See that person with the purple scarf? That’s your soulmate.” Sadly, it is so rare for God to choose to speak in such a simple and clear way. But is God lacking in His job to lead us? It may feel like it at times, especially when we find ourselves yelling at the sky, or crying on the drive home, asking God to answer. But at times, His silence is due to our refusal to let Him speak. He can be silent in the noise of our own minds. Conflicting voices drown Him out. Unfortunately, instead of waiting on the Lord or taking time to clear out our heads, we step in to find the answers ourselves. We try to solve these problem ourselves. What’s wrong with asking out the cute boy in our Gen Psych class? It’s the 21st century, right? Besides, God’s not helping us in that area. If we want to go in a certain direction with
Their staff seeks to practice journalism that is true, substantiated, fair and dedicated to Jesus Christ. Hilltop publications do not represent Corban’s faculty, administration or trustees; rather, they provide a significant student perspective. Letters are welcomed and will be printed on a first-received basis. They must include the author’s name and phone number. Letters are subject to editing for space and clarity. The staff can be reached at hilltopnews@corban.edu.
alone, you could fill the world’s largest foot- munity with nutritious food. ball stadium to the brim. • Demand change! “Food waste also means more money out of Willamette University has been leading this students’ pockets,” Ray said. “If food is wast- movement locally, and it’s time for Corban ed, we also need to buy more food to make to catch up. The Statesman Journal reported sure there’s always enough, and then we need in 2014 that a team of Willamette students to charge more for meals.” started the Northwest’s first Food Recovery My point isn’t that you should finish your Network of its kind, which donates extra food dinner, even if you aren’t hungry, because from the university’s dining hall to the Union there are starving Gospel Mission. children in Africa. My In their first two months My point isn’t that you point is that we act of this program, they doshould finish your like it’s impossible to nated more than 3,100 feed all of the hungry pounds of food to Union dinner, even if you people in the world Gospel Mission and Womaren’t hungry, because when it isn’t. en at the Well Grace House. Clearly, this is a We are fully capable of there are starving problem. doing the same thing! In Here are some ways fact, you can sign a petichildren in Africa. My you can help, even tion through the link at point is that we act like if you have student the end of the article to let loans to worry about: corporate Aramark know it’s impossible to feed • Have smaller that this is an issue matall of the hungry people portions. ters to our student body. When you’re filling With Aramark’s approvin the world when it your plate in Araal, we could give hundreds, isn’t. mark or going groand even thousands of cery shopping, only pounds of food to people get as much as you will actually eat. who need it, and spread the love of Christ in “We try as hard as we can to avoid food the process. waste back there,” Pamela Flippo, Corban’s For us, as Jesus followers, we are commandhead baker said. “If students take less food ed to take action against world hunger. and only go back when they are hungry, that’s In Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus explains to “the half the battle right there.” righteous” that we need to feed the hungry, • Look for opportunities to give away ex- just as we would if Christ Himself was the one cess food. in need of food. Whether it be from your fridge or directThis is how the early church operated, sharly off your plate, always look for ways to get ing and taking so everyone is provided for. food into someone’s stomach, not the trash. This is how the church should still opperate • Volunteer at a food bank, soup kitchen, – not just within the church – but in the comcommunity garden, etc. munity and in the world. Volunteering at places like Corban’s commuPeople should not go without food when nity garden is one of the most efficient ways there is plenty of it available. to combat this issue. Even if you’re just pulling weeds, you really are making a difference www.ipetitions.com/petition/aramark and helping provide Salem’s low-income com- -edible-food-should-not-be-wasted.
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By Michaela Sanderson Photo Editor
Their mission is to tell true stories that contribute to authentic Christian community at Corban.
Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Doubting God can lead to sin. It guides our hearts to rely on themselves and leads us to go our own way. But sometimes, it’s okay that we don’t hear God speak on a particular instance in our lives. He is ultimately sovereign, and He has blessed us with an ability to choose. What He truly wants from us may not be to take a specific job offer, but He always desires for us to trust Him and follow His teachings. Throughout Scripture, there is evidence of God not just being silent, but using silence to teach His people and to help them lean into Him. Abraham left his home with no clear direction in mind. Moses and the nation of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years. Between the Old Testament and the New, Israel experiences several hundred years of complete silence from God. God’s plans are straight and righteous and perfect. And we need to take comfort in His perfect plans. Just like the sparrows Jesus talked about in Luke 12:6-7, “not one of them is forgotten before God.” You are not forgotten. Let this sit in your soul: you are always loved and cared for. Even though it may seem that God isn’t listening, He always wants to hear from you. Take some time to hang out with Jesus. Read Scripture, chat with Him and reflect on the times when God showed how amazing His timing was. He is the same God, the One who raised Joseph from pit to power. Who brought Sarah from mocker to mother. Who brought Paul from scorner to saint. And He is the same God who will bring you from fear to freedom. So, in your time of waiting, you must hold fast to what God had revealed in Scripture. Be encouraged today by Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
We can fix the world’s dumbest problem
Advisers Katrina Delamarter Ellen Kersey
The Hilltop publications – newspaper, yearbook and website – serve as a student-led forum for the student body.
our career, why not just apply without a second thought? We think, “If God didn’t pipe up during my endless prayers, He must not be too concerned with my path in life.” We are all guilty of justifying our choices in one way or another, so we can move on without searching for answers from God. If we didn’t hear Him, He didn’t speak - or at least, we convince ourselves of that. He probably screamed it from the rooftops in more than one way, but we chose to listen to our sinful hearts. That sermon on God’s timing was great, but it never seems to apply to us. That tug in our hearts was just the starchy food we ate. And while we know God uses Scripture to speak to us and advise us, if we don’t look, it is easy to assume that He didn’t speak. Even though we feel like we’ve done every possible thing to listen to God, we’re stuck in a pool of our desires. Instead of wriggling around in those murky waters, we must be patient and trust in God to rise above the muck. Nowhere in the Bible does it say, “Blessed are those who don’t wait for the Lord!” Isaiah 30:18 says the exact opposite: “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” God specifically blesses us when we wait and trust. He longs to bless us, to show us compassion. He longs for our patience. He knows what is best for us, so we can trust in Him. For He is more powerful and better than we could ever comprehend. Maybe we have a difficult time trusting in God because we don’t know His timeline. But, why do we feel so entitled to God’s plan? Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge
Every time I see an uneaten slice of pizza in an Aramark trash can, I want to throw myself off a cliff. According to Cheryl Ray, office manager of campus dining, only a small fraction of Aramark’s food that’s available for consumption such as produce and desserts – can be brought out again and not thrown away. Meaning, most of the leftover food has to be thrown away. Food waste and world hunger are problems that go hand-in-hand, and they are fixable issues that must be tackled locally in order to be stopped globally. This is the world’s dumbest problem because it could be solved so easily. Every year, 30 million people die of starvation, and 75 percent of them are children. Despite this overwhelmingly high number, with the 1.3 billion tons of food that go to waste each year, we could end world hunger not just once, but four times! When I’m talking about waste, I’m not just talking about old, contaminated and moldy leftovers. According to Komal Ahmad, founder of Copia – an app that helps connect nonprofits with excess food – if you were to take all of the untouched, perfectly edible food that is thrown away each day in the U.S.
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December 4, 2018 | The Hilltop
Campus Voice | 3
Learning to ache for Jesus in the pains of life
By Becky Weed Guest Writer
Sin and suffering plague this world. A beautiful Paradise awaits us after death. We groan and ache for that day to come. Soon. It will come soon. I think all of us who love God have a longing for Him. Some stronger and more desperate than others. Nevertheless, it exists because we know deep and eternal satisfaction lies within Him. We fail often to remember that truth because we are human, and we are weak, so we strive to find joy in temporal materials. We are all guilty of it. Still, we know, without a doubt, that He is enough. He is all. He is contentment. We need only Him. And so a deep part of us painfully and des-
perately longs to be with Him without the distractions and temptations of the world. Times arise when we agonize in the midst of the suffering and sin of the world, whether by what we witness or what we do ourselves. We grow angry, impatient, hopeless, because the ugliness just won’t end. We’d rather be in heaven now, worshipping Him without bounds or imperfections. Our lives that are only a blink in eternity certainly feel like their own eternity. It must be said that sometimes this world becomes so heavy and suffocating, even with our hope and strength in Christ, that we fall hard; we do not want to get back up. This is when the ache for Christ becomes strongest, because we realize He truly is the only One who will give us everlasting joy. Physical death becomes tantalizing in a strange way because we know it will bring us out of the worldly pain and into the eternal joy of heaven. Interestingly, we have the ability to cause our own physical deaths. Whether God allows our attempts to succeed or not is another story. I think this is a topic that Christians often avoid because why would those who hope in Jesus ever want death, let alone consider causing their own? In terms of mental illness, Christians still fight depression and anxiety. Trusting in Christ does not free us from suffering. He pro-
vides the power to endure, but it is still suffering, and it hurts to suffer. We still can find ourselves on our knees, soaked in sweat, tears, and blood, in agony, crying for God to remove us from suffering. Just as Jesus felt in the Garden. Just as Jesus felt (Matthew 26:36-44). Further and less discussed, there are Christians who simply long for Jesus and ache for heaven. Sometimes such longing aligns with depression, sometimes not. Nevertheless, we all know there is greatness beyond this life, and we desire it so strongly because we love God. The life we live, gifted to us by Jesus Christ, and the breath we breathe, placed in us by God Himself, has a purpose on this earth until He calls us Home. A temptation to physically die does exist because this earth is not our home, but our Father does not want us to waste our gift of life while we are here, no matter how terrible the suffering becomes. We have the ability to end our own lives, but in no way does God desire that, because He created us and has written our lives as they are to glorify Him and complete the mission Jesus has commanded us. In the end, it will be worth it. In the end, Christ wins. He has won and He will win again. In Christ, we live. To read more about Becky’s journey with mental illness, visit acheforchrist.weebly.com.
Dedicating your hands to God’s glory
By Kelton Hedstrom Guest Writer
I can recall a time when soreness was an obstacle. With rigid legs and grumbling lips, I would drudge about campus, my mind plastered to the stiffness of my calves and the abundance of stairs. Yet, as I pushed further and ran faster, soreness became less of a barrier and more of a testament to progress. To the athlete, there are few feelings as fulfilling as waking up sore. Stiff legs are no obstacle, but an achievement earned through hard work. A person does not become sore through a light day at the gym or a pleasant stroll through the park; it takes a will to push past limits and lift the extra 10 pounds or sprint the last quarter-mile. When was the last time your hands were sore? Have they ever been? As I look upon my own, I see tools capable of incredibly delicate tasks not meant for deli-
cate use. Has it not been hands wielding paintbrushes that brought life to canvas? Is it pens alone that should receive praise and respect for the most beautiful of poems? Though I may stumble through speaking my mind, I seem to find my thoughts best put when not spoken at all, but recorded through written word. The hands seem to be closer to the mind than the tongue, and the works of the hand tend to last longer than a raised voice left unrecorded. Truly the hand speaks for the head; there is a close correlation between experienced hands and brilliant minds. No longer can soreness be a term reserved for gym rats and runners; it must be claimed by the painters, poets, authors, sculptors, thinkers, workers. Soreness must be the universal sign of doers. The body dynamic of the church requires the hands, those who go and do the will of God. The world will not be changed by those who hide away. It is those who act upon their conviction and pursue their commission that embody Corban’s mission statement: “To educate Christians who will make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ.” The oppressed shall be freed and the orphans comforted by the hands of Christians. Church buildings will rise in places once unreached; with the hands of Believers they will be built. Intentionally working the hand is comparable to running. Legs are used every day for walking, which is not enough to exercise the muscles. A higher intensity yields different effects. Not only are the legs worked, but so
are the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The heart and lungs grow stronger with the legs. While the hand grows more capable of intense work for longer periods, so does the mind as it finds itself able to bring to life its thoughts with greater precision and pace. Writing letters seems like a slow substitute to an email or text. I challenge those who prefer their MacBooks to notebooks to try taking notes the “old fashioned” way. Try writing an essay (for pleasure, and, yes, some people do enjoy writing for fun) by hand. Do not be surprised if retention of information and spelling improves as you write out words, tracing their shape and form. To those who prefer to avoid writing like vampires and Olive Garden, try to bring a memory to life through sketching. Focus on the details and do not fear messing up; have plenty of paper, sharp pencils and pink erasers on hand. Do not discard your failed attempts; they will be evidence of the progress made. If you desire to knit, then knit. If it is sewing that tickles your fancy, then do not hesitate to sew. Whatever it may be, do not allow such a precious gift from God to go unused! My prayer for those who read this is that your hands grow sore from whatever you use them to do. May those who use them to paint create masterpieces, and those who write find words flowing from their pens like floodwaters. However you use them, may your hands and the works they do bring glory to God.
We strive to make your voice known. Send your ideas, photos and writing to hilltopnews@corban.edu.
Jess sayin’
By Jessica Abbott Hilltop Columnist
I’ve been in an on-and-off relationship with online dating for the past month. I swipe a bit; I match with some people; I delete the app; a few days go by and I download it again. I’m basically an expert on how to score yourself a date or two. First, you must make your profile highly generic and unoriginal. Apparently saying your dream dinner date would be “Michelle Obama’s arms,” or uploading a picture of you swooning over banana bread won’t cut it for most people. Instead, try saying, “I’m here for a good time, not a long time” and use only group pictures. They’ll know you’re fun and mysterious; which one am I about to swipe on? Who cares, they’re here for a good time – we’ll figure out identities later. Once you’ve matched, start the conversation strong. I suggest using personalized conversation starters whenever you can. For example, if they’re wearing scrubs and are a pre-med student, establish dominance by sending a Spotify link to TLC’s “No Scrubs.” Or, if they say they cry in public, ask if they last cried because they saw a dead racoon or their best friend was sucked into a vortex. Some people don’t give much to talk about on their profiles. I guess that’s the price you have to pay for the ones who are just here for a good time. In those cases, have a few conversation starters canned and ready to go. My personal go-to is “if your personality were a potato dish, what would it be and why?” (If they say “potato salad,” or spell potato with an ‘e’, you deserve better.) When you’re talking to these strangers, find some common interests. This requires you both to ask questions; you do your part and hope they’ll do theirs. Because that’s how conversation works. (I wish this could go without saying, but a boy spent the majority of the conversation complimenting various liquids. He even said the phrase, “Liquids are cool!” When I called him out on it, he said he was just looking for common interests, as if the value I place on hydration was in question.) So, please, ask questions. This is all I ask of you. Even if it’s just “What up?” Please. If you do go on a date, try to enjoy yourself. Ask questions, listen to answers and have a conversation. Don’t interrupt so you can make their story about you. Remember, if it doesn’t go well, you owe this person nothing – except for basic human decency. Don’t pull a Danny Phantom and go ghost. Once you complete these steps, I suggest deleting the app for a few days in an attempt to change your mindset. Don’t worry; nothing will change while you’re gone. Ultimately, remember your worth isn’t in how many guys or gals swipe right on you. Contrary to much of Corban belief, you are not defined by your relationship status. Do what’s best for you, not campus gossip.
4 | News
The Hilltop | December 4, 2018
Seniors stress over — and struggle — completing Reach projects By Steven Sullivan Hilltop Staff
Corban requires students to complete Reach credits by serving in different ways and in different communities in order to graduate. Non-transfer students need four credits coming in, while transfer students need one to three, depending on the number of credits they entered with. For Reach Coordinator Liane Smith, the job can be challenging and encouraging. “The most challenging part is encouraging people to actually do the paperwork,” Smith said. “But I love connecting people to projects and seeing the end result of people serving and coming out of it encouraged in their faith and having grown, which happens a lot.” For many students, completing Reach credits before graduation has not been an issue. But some struggle to fit it into their schedules, find the right opportunity, and/or complete the paperwork. Noah Cook is a senior who has done enough Reach hours, but has zero credits accounted for so far because the paperwork hasn’t been completed. “The paperwork is the hardest part,” Cook said. “I’ve never actually filled it out before, because I don’t understand it. I’ve looked online, but I get lost, so I will have to have someone show me in person.” “I think Reach is a good idea,” Cook said. “I wish it was required only the first year and
then encouraged the following years. I like rather than to fulfill a requirement,” Irving the idea of encouraging students to volun- said. teer, but I don’t like being told to, personally.” Smith empathizes with the stress of comMarra Irving, a senior who has three Reach pleting Reach. projects left to complete, said she is stressed “When I was a student at Corban, we had six because of that. different projects to do,” Smith said. “They “As a fulltime student who works as much each had to be done within a semester, and as I can, I am paying my own way through we couldn’t do the same project twice. So, I college,” Irving said. “Finding enough time couldn’t stay where it was comfortable, and outside of work and class to finish home- I ended up being thankful for that diversity.” work and internship Smith believes the requirements is denew system is an imThe paperwork is the manding, and I have provement, however. no clue how to man“You have a full year hardest part. I’ve never age the remaining reto do projects now, actually filled it out before, quirements and comand you can do the plete them on time.” same project as many because I don’t understand Irving added that, times as you would it. I’ve looked online, but I despite having only like,” Smith said. completed one Reach She believes this get lost. credit, she loves volchange is helpful not unteering. only to students, but to the communities be“My family and I put in many long hours ing served. serving at school and church, as well as help“Lessening those restrictions has encouring out at the local food bank,” she said. aged people to build relationships with orga“When I graduate, I plan on finding a good nizations and people,” Smith said. “If you’re church and continuing the lifestyle I was working with youth, you don’t want someone raised in: giving back to the community.” to come in for 25 hours and then ditch out. To do this during the craziness of school, It’s not always helpful with certain populashe said, is overwhelming. tions of people.” “Because I view these credits as an assignNevertheless, Smith realizes that getting ment, I have missed several opportunities to Reach credits can be stressful as a requirecount volunteering for Reach credits because ment. I wanted to do those things from my heart “Willamette University has a lot of people
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who serve even though it’s not necessarily a requirement, and I don’t think either way is necessarily better,” Smith said. “But hearing stories from students at Corban who’ve come out thankful or have even gotten job offers has been a highlight.” To students still struggling to keep up with requirements, Smith said there is still time. “Serve over Christmas break,” she suggested. “Start serving somewhere now; just do it. Come talk to me if you don’t know where to serve.” Smith said a couple of organizations have been useful for seniors needing a lot of hours in a short amount of time. “The Kroc Center is probably the most flexible place you can serve,” Smith said. “I send a lot of seniors there who need a lot of hours fast. They have many options, they work around your schedule and they get you doing what you are interested in.” She added that a work weekend at the Washington Family Ranch is a quick but good option for completing a Reach project. Lastly, to those still needing to complete paperwork, Smith said she encourages people to get it done, “so it no longer hangs over your head, because it still can keep you from graduating.” Despite the challenges of being the Reach Coordinator, Smith said she loves her job. “I think it’s easy to walk into a new opportunity and be nervous, but it’s cool to see people who come in nervous, but leave changed and
Annual Turkey Trot strives to feed less fortunate By Carol Sotoj Hilltop Staff
Students crowded outside Schimmel Hall on Nov. 20 for the Turkey Trot walk/run race. The aromas of hot cocoa and the sugar from cinnamon donuts filled the air. Sounds could be heard of people talking and laughing, as everyone huddled around trying to stay warm against the cold brisk air of early November. “Some ran, some walked, some cheated, some talked, and I trotted,” Zoe Manley said. “It’s what you make it. I love when people start dancing!” “I do the Turkey Trot every year with my friend, Noah Cook,” Rebecca Weed said. “It has turned into a tradition we started freshman year. It’s a fun event to participate in, but it’s also a nice event to watch as well. Sometimes you can catch people doing the funniest things.” With Thanksgiving in their hearts, SAB announced this year’s annual Turkey Trot would be partnering with Marion Polk Food Share by holding a food drive. In their email, they said the reason was to “provide for our Salem community in such a great time of need.” Grace McDonald said the partnership seemed “appropriate for this month especially. I’m glad we took part in giving to those in need in our community.” In the giving of unperishable food, SAB and ASB made it a competition to see who could raise the most cans within each hall, to get the student body more involved. “It was cool because they made the whole event more competitive this year,” McDonald said. “They had halls competing with each other as to who could collect the most cans, and then, during the Turkey Trot, people who got a ticket got a prize also.” Dayl Bacher’s hall won and received a Shari’s gift card as their prize. The people who got a
Turkey Trot ticket in their tumblers got a $5 gift card to Dutch Bros. “I loved it,” Jade Walker said. “It was a refreshing way to decompress and just be in the presence of my friends.” Lea Huizenga said that over 600 items were collected, and Bacher’s hall collected more than 200 items. “I’m glad we were able to help out our Salem community and not just stick with focusing on our own Corban community,” Noah Cook said.
Photo courtesy of Joshua Gillis Students thunder up the steps of the library to begin the trot around campus. When they completed the loop, they recieved donuts, hot chocolate and plastic tumblers.
Professors publish, prepare for mutiple releases By Mio Beard Hilltop Staff
While professors prepare lectures, grade, meet with students and teach, most professors also maintain highly respected publishing reputations. Three English professors will be publishing work by the new year including Marty Trammell, Gina Oschner and Colette Tennant, while others, like Ryan Stark, publish regularly. English Professor Colette Tennant is currently working on an extensive, biblical analysis of “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood. Atwood’s novel, set in a dystopian era of the near-future New England after overthrowing the U.S. government, explores the life of Offred, a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. As a handmaid, Offred is perceived as a possession belonging to the government. She was kidnapped, along with several other women, and is valued solely for her fertility. According to Gilead, her purpose is to conceive on behalf of the powerful government officials and their wives. Offred and the other handmaids have as much value as a kept animal, although expected to contribute to the household similar to a staff member. Tennant has been looking forward to this analysis since her doctoral dissertation in 1991. “The people who developed Gilead set up what they call a
theocracy – or a government based on God,” Tennant said. “But it’s really godless and heartless and awful.” Tennant’s four-chapter analysis focuses on the deep symbolism within the novel like the significance of the names of people and places, biblical allusions, the abuse of religion and gender within politics. In the chapter on gender in politics, it’s basically “looking at the feminist slant through a biblical perspective,” she said. “The challenge was to tie everything that happens in the book with silencing, objectification of women, all of this, to Bible stories.” Atwood’s novel, originally publishing in 1985, gained recent population when Hulu picked it up as an original series. Tennant will compare how the series depicts the biblical material with how it’s handled in the novel. “What they’ve done is asked [Atwood] to write beyond the end of the book,” Tennant said. “I’m really glad she is the one doing the screenplays for the Hulu series.” The research and writing of this project has allowed Tennant little free time as she has remained teaching full time. “I was at a poetry meeting and my poet friends were saying ‘haven’t the trees been so pretty this fall?’ and ‘haven’t the leaves just been so gorgeous,’” she said. “And I looked at them and thought I had no idea because I have been so busy.”
Tennant hopes to finish her analysis by January. “I’m so thankful for the opportunity to do this because I feel like it’s an opportunity to introduce the general public and touch on biblical themes to a secular audience who maybe hasn’t thought about it before,” she said. Oschner, author of numerous books, is compiling a series of short stories set in Oregon. Oschner is also writing a novel set in 1914 Serbia. Her plot follows a Roma family during the two World Wars. Trammell authored “Love Lock: Creating Lasting Connections with the One you Love,” a book being released around Valentine’s Day of next year. Stark has also submitted work recently, completing a review on a piece of Renaissance Astrology for Renaissance Quarterly Journal. “Most professors publish a lot, and not just in academic platforms, but also devotional and faith-based,” he said, though Corban does not require it of their faculty so they can focus on being available to students. “Publishing demonstrates the professors are up-to-date on topics in their discipline,” he said. For students interested in publishing their own work, Trammell recommends taking Writing for Publication – a class offered in the fall aimed at helping student polish their own professional writing.
December 4, 2018| The Hilltop
News | 5
Annual talent show features variety of musical skill By Hannah Brumage Hilltop Staff The crowd waited in quiet anticipation as the winners of the 2018 Talent Show were decided by the five judges.
In first place, taking home the grand prize of $400, was Ruben Flores who performed a lightning fast mashup of four songs including the “Nintendo Wii Mii” creator theme and a piece from the musical “La La Land.” “When I got called, I wasn’t sure if I heard them correctly,” Flores said. “ I was pretty shocked, but grateful and happy.” Taking second place and a prize of $200 was Steven Sullivan, who performed an original song titled “I Need Jesus and You Do Too.” He taught the audience the chorus -- a repetition of the title -- as well as hand motions pointing at oneself and a neighbor and asked them to sing along. “I was excited to see who would get the awards,” Sullivan said. “There were so many amazing talented people in the show this year, but I was honestly the last thing I was thinking about at that time.” In third place, winning a prize of $100 was the dance troupe of Papuan students called “Hollandia Squad.” The team of Semi Gombo, Yafeth Warijo, Sherina Msen and Del Dumupa performed a mixture of traditional Papuan dances and modern hip hop moves complete with backflips across the stage. “I felt like I was doing that at home because I mostly did the dancing at my school,” Dumupa said. “The funniest thing is that I did guess we would be one of the winners.” The show itself opened with the emcees Cameron Kisling and Dayl Bacher introducing the three previously chosen judges: Alex Gowan, area coordinator of Prewitt/Van Gilder dorms; Ben Pearson, associate dean of Com-
munity Engagement; and Colette Tennant, English professor. The judges sat prepared to be joined by two judges from the crowd. And the race began. Corban Experience visitors and students alike were challenged to bring their roommates’ shoe or a rubber band to the emcees in hopes of winning the judge’s spot. Several students ran up, bearing shoes taken from the feet of their roommates, but one was the fastest. Only one visitor presented Kisling with a rubber band, found on the wrist of her host. “My roommate’s foot happened to be right next to me,” Lauren Baddeley, a chosen judge, said, “so I ripped her Tom’s off her foot and ran to the front!” The two chosen judges, Baddeley and Valentina Bingley, a visitor from California, were sent to the upper seats to join the other three judges. They were given popcorn buckets with
chocolate, a Corban T-shirt and a tomato inside as gifts. “It was difficult for me to choose the winners,” Gowan said. “I personally could not do any of the acts that were performed, so, in my book, they all deserved some credit.” When choosing the top acts, the judges were “quite in sync,” according to Baddeley. In the end they all agreed. The audience included both students and Corban Experience visitors, so, to some, Flores seemed like any other pianist. That is, until he made his way on stage at the end guided by his white cane and a friend who led him to join the others. After a flood of applause and snapping pictures of the winners, the crowd rushed through the Psalm Center doors to the Pumpkin Smash.
Hilltop Staff
In the classroom Steve Halliday, assistant professor of Media Arts and Communications, can be found doing silly impressions or giving advice to his students for different projects, but what many don’t know about is the plans he has to improve the Media Arts program that he’s making happen every day. Halliday began teaching at Corban in fall 2016. Since then, he has been working on major improvements to the media arts department. One such improvement is further developing what is known as “convergent media.” “Convergent media is the integration of different forms of media that allows consumers to interact and make choices within content,” Halliday said. An example of this would be an interactive e-book created as an app for smartphones. Halliday conducted a study on convergent media after a digital publishing company, Push Pop Press, created a convergent media version of one of his books. It was complete with visuals, interactivity, videos and music, but contained the same information as the original. In the study, 100 people were given the book and another 100 were given the app. Each set was told to spend a set amount of hours learning the material. The study found that consumers were more likely to be persuaded by the information in the app. “People who had read the book were contacting me, asking if I could take it back,” Halliday said. “People in the app group actually said that, since the experiment ended, they had spent significantly more hours with the app.” Halliday said he believes convergent media is the future and, though there is nothing like it in universities now, there will be in the next few years. “The potential is enormous, and it can be used anywhere: politics, marketing, publishing, our Christian faith, and any platform that
7.0 earthquake hits home for Alaskan students A 7.0 earthquake caused structural damage and building fires in Anchorage, Alaska on Nov. 30. The earthquake was followed by more than a thousand aftershocks, up to 5.6 in magnitude, though most were of lower magnitude. No recorded deaths, serious injuries or large building collapses were caused by the tragedy, but major roads and many homes were severely damaged. Anchorage has a population of 300,000, some of whom are familes of Corban students. “I heard from my mom... she texted me,” Kinley Hickok said. “I hadn’t seen the news yet. I was babysitting and ended up turning the TV on for her, while I watched live coverage on my phone from whoever was broadcasting.” For such a large magnitude, she said the absence of deaths and injuries was “a miracle!” “My mom texted me about the earthquake in Anchorage and let me know everyone was okay,” Thomas Tyler said. “All that happened at my home was that items fell off shelves.”
Caravan travelers at Mexico-California border Photo by Michaela Sanderson Hollandia Squad puts on a show for the crowd, dancing their way to third place.
Halliday spearheads major media arts advancements By Steven Sullivan
NEWS BRIEFS
wants to communicate a message,” he said. stuff takes place--media arts has a lot to do John Hagala, a media arts student, has a with certain aspects of theater--and the Barn high opinion of convergent media. which has been designated as the sort of cre“It can be a good field to go into,” Hagala ative center. So, it’s in exactly the right spot said. “And I believe it can be used for the King- on campus, too.” dom just as much as I hope my stories told Halliday said the option would be a great through media will.” asset to the media arts program and set CorIn addition to convergent media, Halliday ban apart from other universities. is also pushing for a media arts minor option, “I want to go a new direction, different than the creation of a student publishing house, other universities,” Halliday said. “There’s the student use of a division of his compnay, nothing like a convergent media program in Hothouse Collegiate, and individual media the country, and it’s much cheaper to mainprojects. tain than the programs a lot of other universiIn Hothouse Collegiate, students will work ties are following.” on different projects involved According to Halliday, in writing, publishing, video, with a media arts studio, the I want to go a photography, graphic design, number of media arts majors web design, convergent meat the school could triple very new direction dia or whatever they are inquickly, and it would allow different terested in. for more digital art-based The small publishing house classes and diversify the methan other will allow students to gain dia arts curriculum. universities. experience in publishing, as “One of my goals is to exwell as enable them to keep a pose students to media arts share of the projects’ profits. work outside of Corban, Halliday is also working on a project about whether that’s through getting involved in “ridicule.” actual publishing, film or convergent media “It prepares students in school for the rid- projects,” Halliday said. “I want them to go icule they may face in regards to their faith,” into the wider world and be exposed to people Halliday said. “It would be a family of re- in the industry, so they leave here better presearch-based resources that will help students pared to start their own companies or work and their families be prepared for ridicule and for one.” be able to thrive through it.” Some students also believe the studio would But some of these changes will require re- be a great help to the Media Arts program. sources. “Right now we are using CCTV equipment “In order to really make this work, we need and other outdated technology,” Jessica Mca space of our own,” Halliday said. “And the Court, a media arts student, said. “To be able space I would like to have is that old brick to have a studio for media arts would change building between the Psalm Center and the the program in such a positive way. It would Barn. Campus Care has one end of it, but a lot bring so many students to the program of it is unused.” and help us gain more practice and experiHalliday said that the building would be ence.” an ideal fit for several reasons. The building is Halliday has many dreams for the media both interesting and in a good location. arts program and hopes to see a specific media “It gives media arts a good view for peo- arts studio created within the next couple of ple coming by,” Halliday said. “Plus, it’s in be- years. tween the Psalm Center, where a lot of theater
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The Central American caravan found its stopping point in Tijuana, Mexico near the U.S. border. Many of its members stayed in a sports complex turned into a shelter. After an incident where many migrants ran to the border and were teargassed by U.S. officials, participants began to rethink their options. Now, hundreds have signed up to be sent back to their homelands, and many others have taken Mexico’s offer to be granted one-year humanitarian visas to work and stay in Mexico. More than 2,000 are in the process of seeking appointments with American immigration officials to petition for asylum, although the wait times could be months.
NASA rover begins Mars journey NASA’s insight lander touched down on the red plains of Mars on Nov. 26. The lander differs from previous Mars lander projects in that its specific mission is to study the interior of Mars, to do what NASA’s website described as the first thorough checkup since the initial formation of the planet. The information gathered as the lander’s instruments burrow into the planet will not only yield results relating to Mars but also to the early formation of all rocky planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus and Earth. The project seeks to uncover how a rocky planet comes to be in its stages of development and determine the rate of Martian tectonic activity and meteorite impacts. Since its landing, the lander has generated more electrical power via solar energy than any previous robot on the surface of Mars hitting 4,588 Watt-hours, almost twice the previous record. The excess electricity generated is more than enough for the tasks to be completed by the lander. The mission is estimated to be completed in two years.
6| Chrismas
Christmas,
means a lot to me
to me, is about family, hanging
personally. It was my great
out with those you love, dancing to the
grandmother’s favorite holiday
Nat King Cole Christmas album, drinking
before she passed when I was 12. My
too much eggnog, decorating the Christmas tree,
family is big on tradition. We continue
getting warm next to a fire and picking out the
to do all of the traditions she
perfect gift for our loved ones. Also, it’s about
established every year. We reflect on
getting more sleep than you are able
Christ’s birth and how much
to get during the fall semester.
grandma LaLa meant to us!
~ Will Evans ~
~ Abby Helmholtz ~
It means taking a breath and
remembering all that Christ d
to save us, meanwhile holding m
new nephew and niece, chasing ar
the other 10 nieces and nephews small home in Iowa. ~ Shannon McHugh ~
Christmas is a time of rest and remembrance. ~ Miriam Steinbach ~
Christmas is the craziness of being with my family. Each year we stay up to 2 a.m., setting up the tree and getting the young kids asleep underneath it. I might not be around to do that anymore. I’ll treasure our squabbles and pillowfights for years. As much as I love family, my relationship with Jesus has deepened Christmas for me. I
For me,
can’t celebrate the Incarnation without
Christmas is a time
turning awe-filled eyes to the cross.
where I can be with my
I crave Christ this Christmas.
family and spend quality time
~ Jessica Driver ~
with them and have a break from the busyness of life as a college student. Christmas means family and honoring our Lord Jesus. ~ Sarina Law ~
~ Karla Lewis ~
What Chris mean t
did
|7 Christmas means a lot of things, Christmas
but one of my favorite tradi-
means we have hope in the
tions has been going to downtown
gift of Christ. There are extra opportu-
Portland with my family. We dress for
nities for family time, including meals, early
the weather and head to Pioneer Square
morning stockings and enjoying the beauty of the
to awe at the lights, drink warm
Christmas season. I find the holiday season helps
beverages and window shop the dis-
remind us to be more intentional with relation-
plays. It’s warmth for the soul.
ships, showing that we care in different ways
~ Rachel Weinhert ~
and spending time with those we love.” ~ Kara Sappington ~
To me, it means, knowing the
my
reason for the season,
round
family time, and worshiping Him
s in a
through all of the traditions and gift giving. ~ Julia Doner ~ My family likes to go to Grandma and
t does stmas to you?
Grandpa’s house and eat all the festive candy and chocolate dishes!! ~ Taren Ikea-Mario ~
Christmas is a fruition of all the anticipation that has accumulated over the past month. Reunion with family, old traditions, and peppermint For me, Christmas means peace. It means families
are brought together and differences are put aside. It means we gather and play our musical instruments for His glory. Christmas is when I get to see family I have not seen in ages, and I get to taste food that usually only visits the table once a year. That is what Christmas is in a nutshell for me. ~ Reina Troncoso ~
ice cream with homemade fudge. ~ Paige Heffer ~
8 | Feature
December 4, 2018 | The Hilltop
Sajori a friend to many on campus, translates Jonah for her native people By Trevor Bond
back home very often,”she said. She began to get used to living abroad until tragedy struck, when her father passed away Jacline Sajori, an international student in October 2015. It was incredibly painful and senior linguistics major, journeyed to to lose her father, but adding the loneliness the United States from Papua, Indonesia, af- when there was no family to mourn with it ter praying for four years for the Lord to give more painful. her an education to become a Bible translator. Instead of giving up her studies and returnInstead of answering the prayer she had been ing home, Sajori leaned into who Jesus is, hoping for and being sent to a university in on other international student friends and Papua, He gave her an opportunity to come to continued the work the Lord set her out to the U.S. and study at Corban. do. She was taught to pray fervently, “people “I asked for one thing from God, but He who know us, know that we pray…a lot,” Sagave me Corban,” Sajori said. “He provided in jori said. She spent four years asking God to ways far beyond what I asked… except for the give her an education, which could seem like weather - it’s cold here!” an eternity, but the entire time she never gave When Sajori received news that the govern- up hope. ment was going to finance her education at Sajori is currently translating the Bible into Corban, she had a week to her mother tongue, Papprepare before leaving. uan Malay, an Indonesian This meant she had to dialect without a translaGod hasn’t given up on give up her new aparttion. She is in charge of ment with all of her new translating the book of me yet, and you can’t furniture. Giving up her Jonah for her people. She give up on yourself if new home was hard, but not only came to the U.S. the biggest challenge she still learning English, but God hasn’t given up faced—and still faces toshe is now translating an on you. day—is leaving family as English Bible into a lanshe traveled thousands of guage that needs it. miles to a place unknown. Though Sajori had to Sajori arrived here in January 2015 to a overcome trial after trial, the Lord had differcountry that doesn’t speak the language she ent plans, and made her a beacon of light to is most confident in. “The two hardest parts of her people and the people of Corban. Those coming to the U.S were the culture shock and who speak Papuan Malay will be able to read homesickness. I miss my family and friends the book of Jonah because she gave up her Hilltop Staff
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Photo by Michaela Sanderson Jacline Sajori stretches her arms out with joy while running out of the ocean during the 2018 Beach Party.
comfortable, furnished apartment in an act of obedience. Sajori’s story is stamped with grief as well as triumph, but she accepted these losses in the hopes that the Lord would use her education
to impact the world. “God hasn’t given up on me yet, and you can’t give up on yourself if God hasn’t given up on you,” she said.
Blind student sees God more clearly than ever By Obiomachi Abonyi Hilltop Staff
“I’ll see you later,” Ruben Flores said. He’s joking. He can’t see. This wasn’t always something Flores could joke about. Flores had difficulties with his eyes for most of his life and he started using hearing aids in fourth grade. “I never had perfect vision,” Flores said. “I wore glasses as a young boy and around the age of 10 my vision was tested at the Oregon Health & Science University and they believed I might be losing my vision but it was not confirmed.” But it wasn’t until the fall of 2015, his sophomore year in high school, that the doctor’s suspicions were confirmed. Flores was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome which meant he would eventually lose almost all of both his sight and hearing. The news hit like a brick. “It felt surreal and I was in denial for a long time,” Flores said, “I got depressed as my vision deteriorated.” Flores believes losing his sight gave him a new perspective on life. Prior to his diagnosis, Flores was struggling with his faith. The realization that he was going to lose most of his sight
Photo by Michaela Sanderson Ruben Flores wins $400 at this year’s talent show.
gradually pushed him toward Christ. Flores said. “I do not tend to focus on my hearing loss because “It’s one of those things that I am so thankful to God,” it is not as visible.” Flores said. “Although it may be very hard, I know He had a With his loss of hearing and sight, Flores has unlocked a reason for it, and God has a plan for me in the future as well.” world most others will never experience. Mundane tasks that people with vision and hearing can “I memorized 2,136 digits of pi in three weeks,” Flores said. complete without much thought prove to be quite complex for “I can picture the numbers in my head.” Flores. That is just one of the interesting things about Flores. He “My hearing loss and my vision loss affected every single also plays piano. event in my life,” Flores said. “But I’ve developed ways of doing “Last summer, I wanted to do something different with things. I can do most things sighted people can, just different- my life and this is where I started focusing on playing piano.” ly.” He had known how to play before When making his way around camlosing most of his sight, but he was My disability is not so much pus, Flores is hyper-focused. surprised that it was still an option afa disability as a challenge “Every little step, I feel like I’m terward. walking on a tightrope. If I mess up, I Flores is currently majoring in Piathat can be overcome, could get really hurt. I got distracted no Performance and won first place at especially with Christ by once and almost went down the stone the annual Talent Show in November, steps the hard way.” shocking the crowd with his finale piamy side. When he sits down to tackle his no mashup performance. school work, he uses a software to help How did Flores end up on the hills write essays. of Corban University? “Homework usually takes a lot longer for me to finish be“That is a fun story,” Flores said. “Initially I applied to 12 cause of the accommodations I have to set in place in order to colleges and I got accepted by all of them. Corban was one of complete the assignment,” Flores said. them, but I wasn’t really thinking of Corban at all, I was thinkFlores is aware that many things can go wrong because he ing of another school.” has a disability, but this does not scare him. While browsing the internet for more scholarships to “It is not like I am afraid,” he said. “My disability is not so offset the financial burden of college, Flores stumbled upon a much a disability as a challenge that can be overcome, especial- scholarship to Corban. ly with Christ by my side.” “I put in [the search engine] nothing specific at all,” he said. One of Flores’s motivating life verses is Philippians 4:13; “I “The first link that popped up was the Corban music scholarcan do all things through God who gives me strength.” ship.” Flores’ hearing loss is what scares him more than his vision He felt compelled to apply for the scholarship and he reloss, though many are unaware of this. ceived it, solidifying his interest to audition with the music “I do not talk about my hearing as much as my vision,” department. “God has everything planned out,” Flores said. If he hadn’t been looking for scholarships, he probably wouldn’t be on campus. “I did an audition and I met a whole bunch of the staff and I was like, ‘I don’t know what it is about this place but I really want to come here,’” he said To the untrained eye, Flores’ life may look like a series of unfortunate and coincidental events, but he is well aware that his life is part of a bigger picture. He views his disability as a challenge that did not kill him but rather, made him stronger. “I like to look back at Job’s life and in chapter 42 where Job says ‘For a long time I only heard of you but now I see you,’” Flores said. This was Job’s response after he realized God works in mischievous ways too wonderful for anyone to understand. Flores might have lost his sight but he gained something new. He truly sees God’s hand in his life. “I just want to be able to serve him and do my best for him,” Flores said.
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Photo by Hannah Brumage Ruben Flores plays the piano at the annual Talent Show last month.
December 4, 2018 | The Hilltop
Entertainment| 9
‘Sense and Sensibility’: a story of two sisters By Megan Trahan
Editor-in-Chief “Reserve can sometimes be as dangerous as enthusiasm,” Mrs. Dashwood said to her eldest daughter Elinor in the fall play, “Sense and Sensibility.” Tamara McGinnis, director, and her small but mighty cast of 11 transported the audience into the beauty and grace of the classic Jane Austen tale. They brought to life the struggles of teenage girls enduring love, heartbreak and tiffs with their siblings. Elinor (Heather Bellinger) and Marianne (Noelani Eley) are sisters first and foremost. While many know this tale as one of love and romance, in this production, their sisterhood was emphasized. Since Elinor was the “sense” part of the story, she kept her emotions and heartaches to herself throughout the ordeals she faced. She was proper and refined, as expected. Bellinger was faced with the difficult task of creating a character who was reserved, yet relatable and three dimensional. She executed it artfully with facial expressions and hidden,
snide remarks. Marianne was “sensibility,” a girl who wore her heart on her sleeve and didn’t care who knew it. Eley’s golden curls symbolized the carefree and overly emotional character of the 17-year-old girl. The curls swung to and fro as she shook her head or bounded from one side of the stage to the other. “Our situation is alike,” Marianne said. “For you because you do not communicate, and for me because I conceal nothing.” The two actresses pulled the audience into the tale with their empathetic and moving performances, but the supporting actors kept them glued. Joseph Elkins’ Edward Ferrars was just as relevant with his awkward and heartful proposal to Elinor. The delightfully terrible Willoughby and Fanny Dashwood (played by Brendan Fugere and Nicole Peeke) created a stark difference between the good and bad. On the opposing side, Colonel Brandon, played by Ethan Miller, was as upstanding a gentleman as could be expected or hoped for. “To Willoughby,” Brandon said, as he dwelled on Marianne’s
engagement to another man, “that he might endeavor to deserve her.” I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of humor in this rendition of “Sense and Sensibility.” I went in expecting a drama, full of emotions and flowery language, but I was pleasantly surprised. The cast emphasized the social and sarcastic quips that Jane Austen put in her writings. In addition to the stellar performances of the cast, a highlight of the show was watching the crew seamlessly transition scenes, while simultaneously being characters themselves. Crew members dressed as butlers moved couches, chairs and scenery, all the while standing erect and stately. At one point they even staged a short scene themselves in order to give the cast time to change. Instead of the usual black clad crew, the butlers of this show maintained the world of the regency era. The set was simple yet effective. The costumes were beautiful and period appropriate. The lighting and music were as artful as ever. I laughed. I cried. And I loved it all.
All photos by Michaela Sanderson The Sense and Sensebility cast elegantly portrayed 1800s English men and women in the Corban Theatre adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, full of drama, romance and sisterhood.
‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ but doesn’t break the mold By Anna Benjamin Hilltop Staff Over Thanksgiving break, my parents took us kids out for what they love to call “family time.” After debating for a good portion of the morning, we piled into our pre-heated pick-up and headed off to a matinee showing of the latest Disney release: “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” the sequel of the 2012 film. Disclaimer: I was raised in the golden age of Disney with movies like “Lion King” and “Aladdin” setting my standards. I owned my very own Snow White dress from ages 4-9 and wore it religiously. I can even still belt out “Can you feel the love tonight” word for word without missing a beat. It’s not fair to compare any recent movie with these childhood masterpieces - much less a sequel - but the bar had already been set and I couldn’t help but hold high expectations for something new and big from Disney. The story picks up almost exactly six years after the original. Ralph and Vanellope are as good of friends as ever, if not closer. That is until a mysterious new game is installed nto the
acrcade called “WIFI.” The next day, Vanellope is racing in her game “Sugar Rush” when the wheel of the game breaks off entirely. The arcade owner decides that the repairs are not worth the game’s profit and unplugs it, preparing to sell it. Ralph and Vanellope decide that they must venture into the internet to the land of “Ebay” to locate the one available spare wheel being sold. Once there, Ralph and Vanelope must decide if they want to fight to hold on to their old, predictable life or move on to a new one. The original “Wreck it Ralph” released in 2012 was entertaining and arguably underrated. Just like the first one, the sequel is full of clever jokes and video game puns. While some jokes made me roll my eyes a bit, others genuinely made me laugh. There was even a Bob Ross cameo thrown in there. The animation of the film was, as usual, visually stunning, with sequences and effects that pulled the viewer in. The movie focuses on the themes of change in relationships and life and the insecurities that come with it. This was a surprisingly relevant topic for more than just the younger audience in the theatre. Older viewers could appre-
ciate it as well. While the film had its strong moments, it lacked much, leaving the viewer wanting at times. The beginning of the movie felt slow, weighed down by a whole lot of exposition. While the new characters introduced to the plot were somewhat fleshed-out and entertaining, the side characters, mainly Fix-it Felix and Sergeant Calhoun, seemed to be afterthoughts. The friendship between Ralph and Vanellope felt forced at times, and Ralph’s character became watered down to the point where his actions were somewhat irritating. He makes some very rash and dumb decisions throughout the film, which never really seemed justified. Disney movies always find ways to pull at the heartstrings of the audience, but the climax of the film as a little bizarre with cliche dialogue, and got nowhere close to drawing a tear. In the end, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” was a decent animated movie with nice aesthetics, but an underwhelming sequel, lacking origionality as well as the emotional depth we have seen in Disney movies of the past.
The Christmas music you should — and shouldn’t be — rocking this year By David Miller Hilltop Staff
That’s right, y’all! Christmas season is here, and it brings festive music with it! Christmas is the most magical time of year, and one of my favorite aspects of the holiday is the music. Now, some people (commonly known as weirdos) like to listen to Christmas music year-round. These are the same people who have their horoscopes in their Instagram bios and say their favorite movie is “anything Disney.” These people are not to be trusted. But, for those of you who are just now planning to dust off your Christmas records on black Friday (as God intended), I’m here to help guide you through the wild world of Christmas music to keep your holidays festive and trash free. I’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so try to keep up. If you’re looking for some good old school Christmas tunes, look no further than Frank Sinatra. Nothing warms my spirits like a morally questionable, mob-connected voice of an angel who sings literally anything. The creatively titled “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole scratches this same itch. If “I’ll be Home for Christmas” by Bing Crosby doesn’t melt your heart, please see a medical doctor because you might be legally dead. Speaking of the Cros himself, “Silver Bells”
is maybe the best song ever known to man, and even better to sing in the shower. Old school Christmas music is cool, but what if you’re in the mood for a more modern Christmas? The kind of Christmas where people use words like Uber and Vespa. Ladies and gentlemen, if you learn one single nugget of knowledge from this article, let it be this: “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey shreds so hard. Did you get that? I said “All I Want for Christmas Is You” shreds harder than anything any living human has ever dreamed of. That song is off the chain and will never stop being amazing. Perhaps my favorite subgenre of Christmas music is also the strangest. From time to time, contemporary artists think it would be a great idea to write a Christmas song or make an album. This is almost never a good idea, but it almost always has hilarious results that fill my heart with joy I can’t quite describe. Why would Panic! At The Disco make a Christmas song? I honestly have no idea, but I praise the Lord that they did because it is as terrible as we want it to be, and I love it. The bottom line is that Christmas music is amazing. Go find yourself some Christmas music, and get down on some gingerbread and joy! And remember, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” shreds so hard. Merry Christmas.
10 | Sports
The Hilltop | December 4, 2018
Women’s volleyball team thrives with young players
Photo courtesy of Corban Athletics Cierra Leopoldino sets the ball during the second game of the CCC Tournament against Southern Oregon University, who ended up knocking the Warriors out of the tournament.
By Connor Morton Hilltop Staff
The volleyball team put on a strong performance this year, integrating new players to qualify for Nationals where they finished in the final 16.
Of the 13 players on the team, nine were freshmen, two were sophomores, and two were juniors. “We didn’t know how this season would go compared to the last two successful seasons we had, but we were definitely excited about it,” Lauren Condon, a junior player, said.
To begin building relationships early, the team went on a retreat to a cabin on the coast early this fall. “We were just there bonding the whole weekend,” Condon said. “It was good to see each other out of the volleyball atmosphere and see how everyone acts.” The team placed an emphasis on building not just a strong team of players, but a team of strong character. “My goal was to find the right student athletes for Corban,” head coach Kim McLain said. “Not just to get students here to play volleyball, but ones who would be a good fit for the university.” Not only do the players have strong character, but McLain is impressed with how excellent all the players are on the court. “One night, one of them stands out. Another night, someone else,” McLain said. “If I were to mention a standout athlete, I’d have to mention them all.” For Condon, one of the main reasons she plays volleyball is the adrenaline rush that comes from the intensity of the game. She enjoys the challenge. “It feels good when you can overcome it and win the game, especially when people don’t think you’re going to win,” Condon said.
Men’s and women’s soccer finish strong season By Connor Morton Hilltop Staff
The men’s soccer team fell to a final score of 2-1 with Oklahoma Wesleyan University in the second round of Nationals. This put Corban in the 16th final spot, though the defeat marked the end of a very successful season for the team. “The result did not end up as we’d hoped,” head coach Aaron Lewis said, “but the guys proved again that they are among the best in the country and that they have moved this program closer to the ultimate on-field goal.” While the defeat to Oklahoma was the second time in program history that the men have advanced to the national final site, this is the sixth consecutive trip to Nationals, Corban being the only team in the west to advance this far for this many straight seasons. The first half moved at a furious pace, with both teams frantically pursuing the early advantage. Despite Oklahoma registering a number of good-looking shots early on, it was the Warriors’ Camilo Avendano who would provide the game’s first score. Sadly, that would be the only score Corban would make, and Oklahoma would make two, leaving the final score 2-1 loss for the Warriors. The team’s advancement to Nationals was particularly exciting because it wasn’t guaranteed. They had finished second in conference, just missing the first place finish that would have guaranteed a spot. Their hopes rested on getting the at-large spot, which they did.
Practices were different leading up to Nationals, Alex Segovia said. “We were very excited!” he said. “You could feel it – the intensity.” The consistency of attending Nationals speaks to the excellent recruiting and mentoring of the team members. “We always graduate quality people,” Lewis said. “Typically an average class is between eight and 10 graduates.” This means opportunities for existing players to take over their roles and giving new players a chance to shine, like the current leading scorer and freshman, Kohl Hurtado, and Jordan Salim, an international student from Indonesia, who’s been a backup for the last couple of years, but a starting athlete this year. The men’s soccer players have 10 different nationalities represented. “We had a big class of incoming freshmen, Photo courtesy of Corbvan Athletics and it was exciting to have a lot of good players Alan Cruz Ramirez passes during the game against Arjoin our team,” Alex Segovia, a senior said. “It izona Christian University in the opening round of the was good to build a bond among ourselves.” NAIA National Tournament. While the women’s soccer team didn’t do as well as they had hoped, finishing their season Elizabeth Brock, a freshman goalkeeper, and in eighth place, the team did make it to play- two transfer students, Rylee MacDonald and offs. which was an ongoing goal. Riley Smetzler, Hafeni said. Additional assis“Our expectations were higher. We wanted tance came from Hannah Shore, a junior basto finish first or second overall,” women’s head ketball player who hadn’t played soccer since coach Likius Hafeni said. “But I thought we did high school, but was one of the team’s leading very well for a new team.” scorers. What made the season more difficult was “Not playing soccer competitively for two the loss of several key players early on in the years, I forgot how much I missed playing season. New players had to step up to fill high when I began practicing with the women’s socexpectations. Players who excelled in this were cer team,” she said.
UPCOMING ATHLETIC EVENTS December 6 Women’s Basketball vs. Willamette University 6:00 p.m. - Corban’s Gym Men’s Basketball vs. Willamette University 8:00 p.m. - Corban’s Gym December 15 Women’s Basketball vs. College of Idaho 2:00 p.m. - Corban’s Gym Men’s Basketball vs. College of Idaho 4:00 p.m. - Corban’s Gym December 16 Women’s Basketball vs. Eastern Oregon University 4:00 p.m. - Corban’s Gym Men’s Basketball vs. Eastern Oregon University 6:00 p.m. - Corban’s Gym December 18 Women’s Basketball vs. Linfield College 12:00 p.m. - Corban’s Gym January 4 Women’s Basketball vs. Warner Pacific University 5:30 p.m. - Corban’s Gym Men’s Basketball vs. Warner Pacific University 7:30 p.m. - Corban’s Gym
Basketball teams to battle cross-town rival Willamette By Connor Morton Hilltop Staff
Corban will host the Willamette University Bearcats on Thursday, Dec. 6 in back-to-back women’s and men’s basketball games. Visitors can look forward to games driven by some cross-town rivalry as the Warrior’s navy and gold take the court opossite Willamette’s cardinal and gold. “That coach has been there quite some time, and he’s going to know our team, so they’ll be really prepared for us,” Corban’s men’s head coach Mitch Freeman said. Last year both Warrior teams beat Willamette, but the games were close, the women’s team won by only two points. The men’s team had a slightly larger margin, finishing 86-73. Even with the home court advantage, there is no guaranteed victory. “Home games are always different because there’s a different level of pride and wanting to defend our home court,” Corban’s women’s head coach, Bill Pilgeram, said. “There’s a definite sense of comfort playing at home.” This will be this first home game either Corban team has played since
the end of October. The Warriors have been playing well so far, with both teams winning the majority of their games. The women’s team is 5-3 going into the game, and the men’s team is 8-2. The women’s team is coming off a 72-61 victory over Northwest Christian University on Nov. 27, while the men’s team won their most recent game against New Hope Christian College 94-52 on Monday, Dec. 3. Willamette plays in NCAA’s Division III, with their women’s team 3-5 and the men’s team still waiting for their first win after eight games. Freeman expects an entertaining game for his team. “It’s a great group of men who are exciting and fun to watch play hard, selfless basketball… and there’ll be a few dunks,” Freeman said. “We have a number of guys who play above the rim, and we have guards who play with a lot of energy.” Pilgeram also looks forward to playing Corban’s neighbor. “It’s a great game for us to play in the pre-season because the crosstown rivalry brings a little more emotion into it,” he said. The women’s game starts at 6 pm with the men’s game immediately after. Admission is free for students and staff with university ID.
January 5 Women’s Basketball vs. Multnomah University 5:30 p.m. - Corban’s Gym Men’s Basketball vs. Multnomah University 7:30 p.m. - Corban’s Gym
December 4 , 2018| The Hilltop
Sports | 11
A winter wonderland: student athletes stay in shape during break By Obiomachi Abonyi Hilltop Staff
For student athletes, along with most others, the holidays are a season to spend quality time with friends and family. The difference between athletes and traditional students is that athletes have to be cautious of how they spend their time, especially around the dinner table. With spring sports season closer than one may think, all student athletes have their own way of enjoying the holidays, while still having one eye set on the future. “Throughout the day, I just enjoy time with family and friends,” Reagan Shira, a track athlete, said, “but I always know that I’m going to make it to the track to get in my workout for that hour before dinner.” Scheduling a time for working out is important. With the frenzy the holidays entail, being intentional seems to make all the difference between a day well-spent and a day wasted. “I try to get my workouts done in the morning,” Cara Courtney, a hurdler on the track team, said. “Otherwise, I feel like the day gets away from me, and I don’t get to it.” But, as Courtney can attest to, working out doesn’t have to be all work. “Have fun,” Courtney said. “Go outside. There are so many different cardio options. I’ll do bike riding or I’ll go for a long run or I’ll do a workout video with my mom, like plyos and stuff.” Without the coach present to keep athletes in check, a lot of responsibility rests on the individual. “The hardest part is not having your team there with you,” Courtney said. “That is a big motivation for me, especially if it is a really hard workout. [We] suffer through that together. It can be discouraging to do it on your own.” Courtney likes to involve her family members in her workouts, spending quality time with those she loves. In addition to training for a sport that strengthens her character, she is killing two turtle doves with one stone. With memories to be made and traditions to uphold, Allison Crakes, a softball player, doesn’t hold back. When the “goody tray” comes around during one of Crakes’ family traditions, she grabs as much food as she possibly can, without hesitation.
Nevertheless, Crakes can still be found in the gym pumping iron because “Just knowing that I’m eating so much bad food, it feels good to go the gym and just get it all out of my system and sweat it out.” Like every dedicated athlete, Crakes has a goal. One must want to do well come spring, or there is no motivation in the winter. With that in mind, Aaron Seabrook, a golfer, makes his way to the indoor golfing facility near his house at around 9 p.m., his personal key in hand. Seabrook admits that, though there isn’t much of a restraint eating wise, staying in shape is still a priority. “This is going to sound pathetic,” Seabrook said, “but we walk 36 holes for tournaments, that equals 15 to 18 miles depending on how long the course is in a day, and it is 11-hour days. It does grind on you; you have to be able to walk that much and still mentally be OK.” As for Crakes, she knows that spring conditioning is going to demand a lot out of her. Her eligibility to play is on the line. “I’d say the one thing that keeps me motivated during the winter is to think of the conditioning tests we have because, if we don’t pass those, we can’t play.” Some of our athletes’ winter experiences are drastically different. Meet the basketball players. With their season in full swing when the sleigh bells ring, they have a significantly shorter winter break. “We have games basically from the end of our semester all the way through the end of winter break,” Beau Tilleman, a player on the men’s basketball team, said. As all their fellow classmates are making plans for the holidays, these athletes are preparing for the game season ahead. “Staying at Corban once everybody else leaves can get boring and lonely,” Jordan Rasberry, a player on the women’s basketball team said. “The biggest drawback from not going home is not being able to see your family and friends.” Basketball players grow closer during this time because, now more than ever, they have to depend on each other to get through the time away from home. Tilleman uses the few days he does have off to travel to Idaho. “I try to see as much family as possible,” Tilleman said. “But, in reality, you only get to stay there for a couple days; then
QA
Photo courtesy of Corban Athletics Joel Johnson tips the ball to his teammates in a game this fall.
you’re traveling back.” Thankfully, the basketball players are successful in keeping the Christmas spirit alive in their own ways. The women’s team members sometimes bake cookies or do a Secret Santa gift exchange. As for the men, “We come to the gym and watch basketball and have food,” Tilleman said. “It is the time to hang out with the team, get closer, and get to know each other better.” It is good to rest; there is a time for that. Yet, with each action being directly connected to another, even in their resting, athletes must be mindful. “It’s almost like constantly studying for an exam, except foodwise and body-wise,” Crakes said.
&
With student athletes
GOLF AARON SEABROOK 1. I think for me, personally, I need to work on my putting inside of 10 feet. I was able to hit the ball well this season, but struggled to get it in the bottom of the cup. 2. My favorite part has been just enjoying my last season as a Warrior with all my teammates. 3. My teammates and I are all very close and have helped each other out with everything. We are all really good at understanding when teammates are going through a rough time and being able to encourage them. 4. I am looking forward to traveling with my brothers and making a run at a conference championship this spring. 5. As I said before, a big team goal is to win the conference championship. It is what we have set our eyes on, and I truly believe it’s attainable. Personally, I want to be top seven of the conference players and bring my scoring average to an all-time low.
1. What area would you most like to improve on?
VOLLEYBALL
2. What has been your favorite part of the season so far?
1. I’d want to improve on being a more vocal leader. I’m not very loud; I usually just lead by example, I guess, but just being more vocal with a younger team would be great.
3. How have your teammates encouraged you this season? 4. What are you looking forward to the rest of the year? 5. What are your personal goals this season? The team goals? Photos courtesy of Corban Athletics
LAUREN CONDON
2. My favorite part of this season would be seeing how much our team has improved and grown together on and off the court. 3. Just being able to play for each other was motivation enough! They’ve encouraged me to be a stronger person in my faith by all the great conversations we have. 4. Moving on to Nationals for my third year in a row is exciting, and I know the new girls are excited to be able to experience this as well. I’m also excited to see how our spring training will go. 5. A personal goal of mine was to help the new girls feel welcomed and loved and to give them a great experience, while also being as competitive as we could be. I also wanted to improve my personal game in any way I could, so I really wanted to focus on working hard during practices. A team goal we had was to make it to nationals and to just have fun and grow close to each other.
12 | October 30, 2018
The Hilltop
H U M A N S of C O R B A N MICHAEL BLAKE
“I grew up in a very poor family. We had been evicted, lived in mobile homes, trailer parks, and we were even homeless at one point. I spent seven months living in a tent on my grandma’s front lawn because there wasn’t room inside. My mother and father both struggle with mental illness and so do my siblings and I. The summer before my senior year of high school, I dealt with my first depression episode. Since then, I have had a lot of depressive episodes, but each one leads me closer to God. Being at a Christian school doesn’t exempt you from dealing with mental health issues. Last semester I had to drop out entirely because of my depression. It began with dropping two classes and went on from there. My grandfather died that semester while I was by his side, and my two-year long relationship with my girlfriend ended. There were many nights I would stand by the highway considering walking into traffic. Once, I called the suicide hotline and another time I took myself to the hospital. I went on different medications to see what would help. It was a slow recovery. The only real way to defeat depressive episodes is with God. Don’t ask ‘Why don’t you have more faith?’ or ‘Have you prayed about it?’ It’s not that simple. It’s brain chemistry. I point people to Paul’s thorn in his side. God said to Paul ‘My grace is sufficient for you. My strength will be made perfect through your weakness’.”
MARI LICHTENBERG
“When I was 7, I found out that I’m the product of an affair. I’d been lied to about who my father was up until that point. My mother was being beaten by the man I thought was my father, but, as soon he left a bruise on me, my mom made him leave. I then met my birth father, a paranoid schizophrenic and meth addict. My birth parents had apparently been doing meth when they met, but my mom quit as soon as she found out she was pregnant with me. Doctors told her she wouldn’t be able to carry a baby to term, and my grandma pushed her to get an abortion. My name, Marielle, means ‘wished for child.’ Everything changed when my mom got a medical marijuana card. She started smoking heavily, and she went from being a helicopter homeschool mom to locking me in my room for long periods of time. This lasted about four years. I was tossed around from home to home for years, living with my parents, then my grandmother, my mom’s autistic friend, and eventually with the woman who adopted me. These hardships have taken a toll on me, and I got to a point where I started drinking heavily. I came to Alex Gowan (dorm area coordinator) saying, ‘I know this will get me in trouble, but I need help.’ She helped me without making me feel like I was being punished. I got to the point a few weeks ago where my friends came home with alcohol and I said ‘no.’ That was big for me.”
CHRISTINA TARVER
“I tried to hang myself, but the belt broke. After sixth grade, I had spiraled into a three-year long depression that led me to attempt suicide a couple times. Students had been starting rumors about me that I wasn’t right in the head, and my school held a big meeting with a counselor, all my teachers and my parents to decide what to do. Without asking for my input, they suggested I start taking medication and see a specialist. They assumed I had bipolar, even though I was just going through a rough patch. I was just being bullied, and I didn’t know how to handle it. I was getting help, but not the help I really needed. What I needed was for someone to listen. I have no trouble asking God for help, but I struggle to trust people enough to ask them for help. There are still things that I like to keep between me and God, but here at Corban I feel like it’s easier to open up to people. How do I know that they won’t gossip about me if I’m vulnerable? When I first came here, I thought I had a good idea of what life on campus would be like, but I didn’t expect people to be so loving and friendly. I see Corban, and really anything that’s new, as an adventure. Even just walking around this campus and seeing all the nature is like going on a safari. My dad reminds me to think of life as an adventure, and, when I think of it that way, it doesn’t seem so hard.”