The Point Weekly

MANOR HOUSE tales / p. 5

STUDY ABROAD highlights / p. 6-7

Monday, January 23, 2012

Volume 40 • Issue 12

College Republicans hosts mayoral candidate Study abroad

office creates Global Ambassador Program by kate bernath staff writer

abby hamblin

Mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio discussed his “Roadmap to Recovery” during the College Republicans meeting on Jan. 17 in Clara Colt Hall. After pizza and soda, DeMaio gave a brief biography and discussed some of his plans for San Diego, should he win the race for mayor.

Republican Carl DeMaio speaks in Clara Colt Hall by abby hamblin news editor

With the primary election just months away, the PLNU College Republicans decided it was time to get to know the candidates for San Diego mayor. They started on Tuesday, Jan. 17, in Clara Colt Hall by hosting Carl DeMaio, a Republican candidate, at their first meeting of the semester.

“It was great for the students, especially the political science majors, to have an experience like this,” said sophomore PLNU College Republicans President Shannon Leonard. “If he’s eventually our mayor, it can only be beneficial for him to know about us and us

to know about him.”

DeMaio is currently the San Diego city councilman for District 5, whose website nicknames him “businessman-turned-civic watchdog” and reports that his simple pledge is to “clean up City Hall.” This was not his first visit to a San Diego university.

“I have spoken at SDSU and at USD and plan to do an event at every university that will host me,” DeMaio said via e-mail.

“I think it’s vital to our civic system to have students involved in government, whether it’s volunteering or simply voting. Our students are essential to the future of this city.”

The College Republicans, under new leadership this school year, got off to a slow

start, but Leonard said she wanted the semester to start off with a bang.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it ended up being a great group that was able to have a more personal experience where they could have their questions addressed in a more intimate setting,” Leonard said.

After soda and pizza, DeMaio took the floor to give a brief biography and discuss his business-focused model for government reform, spending the majority of his time talking about his “Roadmap to Recovery,” a fiveyear financial recovery plan that, according to carldemaio.com, balances the city’s budget

PLNU’s study abroad office has started a new program that uses students who have previously studied abroad to give insight into the study abroad process, which includes acquiring scholarships, verifying credits and anything else that comes along with life in a foreign country.

These ambassadors will be student representatives for the study abroad office. They will organize activities throughout the year to educate students about studying abroad. These students will also hold peer advising sessions, where they will answer questions, plan and put on events for students and be available to discuss any part of the study abroad process. “[The program] definitely works as a major recruiting tool, but more importantly it will add immensely to the quality of the experiences the students will have abroad,” said Frank Serna, director of study abroad.

Applications for the ambassador program are open to anyone who has experience studying abroad, regardless of academic year. There are several other qualifications listed on the application, which can be picked up at the study abroad office, located on the south side of Bond Academic Center.

Eight students have been accepted as ambassadors for the Global Ambassador Program’s inaugural year.

Julianna Aldredge, Scott Callisch, Michelle Diaz, Barbara Gausewitz, Ryana King, Aubree Lew, Keio Lewis and Arielle Sima have traveled to countries such as Italy, France, Greece, Russia, Jordan, Costa [cont. AMBASSADORS p. 3]

FOR MORE ABOUT STUDY ABROAD, SEE PAGES 6 AND 7

[cont. DEMAIO p. 2]

Your guide to the 2012 mayor’s race Four Major Candidates

How To Register

Carl DeMaio — San Diego City Council Bonnie Dumanis —District Attorney of San Diego County Bob Filner — U. S. Representative Nathan Fletcher — State Assemblyman

You must register by May 15 to vote in the June 5 election.

Important Dates

Primary Election: June 5, 2012 General Election: Nov. 6, 2012

Register online at: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections

You can register to vote in California if you are: •A U.S. citizen •A California resident •At least 18 years of age on or before the next election •Not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction •Not declared mentally incompetent by court action

2 | NEWS

the point weekly | monday, january 23, 2012

DEMAIO cont. from p. 1 and restructures long-term city finances to eliminate the city’s structural budget deficit. DeMaio said that because he is a businessperson, he wants to specify what he would do as mayor.

“If there is a better idea out there that someone has and they don’t like my idea, put it on the table because I’ll take your idea and make it part of a joint plan,” DeMaio said. “I also want accountability. With specificity comes accountability and the transparency that that creates.”

Students voiced their questions about the Chargers’ stadium, Qualcomm, and military veteran support, among other issues.

Associate professor of political science Lindsey Lupo, who attended the event, said any exposure to political leaders is beneficial for the college community, and she hopes it helps contribute to more interest in politics among the youth.

“They make decisions that are critical to our lives,” Lupo said. “We are lucky enough to live in a democracy where we have choices. If democracy is for the people and by the people, and the people don’t participate, then the democracy collapses.

The decisions are going to be made by the political leaders, so you can either give your input or stand back and let it happen without you.”

Lupo said some of the most pressing issues of the coming mayoral election are pension reform, repairing aging infrastructure, building a new stadium for the Chargers and generally ensuring the economic health of the city.

“These things matter in terms of how much we pay in local taxes, working conditions for our municipal workers, whether or not Comic Con and the Chargers stay in San Diego, if we have clean beaches and what the job market prospects are for our graduating seniors, among many other things,” Lupo said.

Junior political science major Tim Carlton said DeMaio addressed issues he had never considered before.

“It was a special opportunity for me as a political science major to see someone who stands a legitimate chance at being in public office and learn about some of the issues that our city faces in this upcoming election,” Carlton said.

Leonard said the College Republicans would love to host another

Theft of dishes takes toll on caf by katie callahan staff writer Having no cups, no spoons, no forks or no plates are common experiences in the caf. The dining staff works quickly to restock whatever is lacking. Students then receive what they are looking for in the way of silverware or dishes and go about their meals. Herein lies the problem: Students, faculty or staff members then sometimes proceed to take these dishes out of the caf.

According to Glenda Carmona, the resident dining supervisor and a graduate of PLNU in 2007, this problem is not new, but it has changed since she first put amnesty bins around campus her senior year.

“Ever since then, it’s just been progressively getting worse,” she said. “This year’s probably the worst I’ve seen it just because of the continuous dining.”

Dwight Price, PLNU’s manager of dining services, said the idea for the amnesty bins came from the public li-

brary’s amnesty day, when people can return books they forgot to return with no charge. The amnesty bins on campus work the same way.

“By putting out these amnesty bins, it gives people the opportunity to be able to just drop stuff [silverware and dishes] off and not feel like they’re going to be scrutinized for returning stuff,” said Price.

From the collection of last semester’s dishes, dining services received about 50-70 plates, 25 coffee mugs and 40-50 forks. Coffee mugs and plastic cups were among the most popular items to take from the caf.

Price said the cost of “smallwares,” a term he coined for the dishes, utensils and drinking containers in the caf, last semester was primarily focused on replacing what had been taken or broken. “[What] we spent for the entire semester last year, not counting what we already had on hand, but what I had to buy to replace and keep up on things, was probably close to almost $6,000 ... on just [cont. SMALLWARES p. 3]

katie callahan

candidate if they can work it out.

PLNU College Democrats President Matt Rhoads said the College Democrats are also interested in hosting a candidate in the future.

“I think any candidate exposure to PLNU is good,” Rhoads said. “Having a candidate come onto campus lets them see a group of younger voters and to see what issues mean a lot to them.

Also, having a candidate at PLNU would hopefully spark political interests of students who are not in the political science department.”

Rhoads said the two clubs are taking steps to become more active on campus.

“I feel the Republican Club did a good thing by having a Republican mayoral candidate come onto campus,” Rhoads said. “In the future, I want to do a joint panel of guests representing both parties to answer questions students have in regard to political issues.

Both clubs want the campus to become more politically involved; by working together, I believe we can achieve this goal this year.”

abby hamblin Mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio sat down to field questions from students, faculty and community members during his talk at the College Republicans meeting on Jan. 17. DeMaio answered questions about pension reform, the fate of the Chargers’ stadium and his plans for veterans and their families.

NEWS | 3

the point weekly | monday, january 23, 2012

AMBASSADORS cont. from p. 1 Rica, Fiji and Ecuador.

Lew studied abroad through the Semester at Sea program and visited 12 countries, staying in each country anywhere from two to six days.

“I’ve learned so much about this world, about myself and even about America,” Lew said when asked about becoming an ambassador. “I want others to be able to experience the same thing.”

Not only did all the ambassadors study in different countries, but the ambassadors also come from very different academic backgrounds, with majors anywhere from liberal studies and psychology to exercise science.

At the study abroad welcome back dinner Wednesday, Jan. 18, an event hosted each year for

returning study abroad students, the ambassadors were introduced for the first time. Sima, an exercise science major, spent a semester in Cuenca, Ecuador.

“The cost of tuition was less than that of Point Loma’s,” Sima said. “I saved up on my [general education requirements] and ended up actually saving time because I was able to get two semesters worth of language classes out of the way in only one semester. It worked out really well.” She is set to graduate in the spring.

President Bob Brower, who attended the welcome back dinner, said the Global Ambassador’s Program is a great asset to PLNU. “Promoting study abroad is a commitment

SMALLWARES cont. from p. 2 smallwares,” he said.

Price’s concern, however, is not on the number of plates leaving the caf, but the number of plates left in the caf.

“We probably lost about 14 percent of our initial inventory through the course of the year,” Price said.

“Fourteen percent seems pretty low, but when you think of a university this small, it’s actually quite large. And then the replacement for that.”

To counteract the loss of smallwares in the caf, dining services has begun weekly inventories and will continue to put amnesty bins in residential halls. Still, the number of smallwares remaining in the caf continues to decrease weekly.

“We miss maybe about 50 items every week, and the majority is our spoons and forks,” said Carmona. “We try and buy more, but it’d be a lot easier if we could just get the things back and

reuse those rather than having to buy new silverware every week.”

In past years, inventory counts occurred every two weeks. As of Jan. 18, the smallware losses this semester already totaled about 200-300. Through the use of amnesty bins more frequently on campus with weekly pickups, Price said dining services is hoping to retrieve 60 percent of what was lost. The ideal number of smallwares is double the amount of people who will come in per meal, in order to recycle through dishes.

Though students aren’t affected monetarily by the decrease in smallwares in the caf, they are still impacted by this problem.

“It could affect their service, meaning their wait time on waiting for a clean plate, or when they’re out there looking for a fork, or it can affect our sustainability because maybe we were

both I and the faculty at PLNU share,” Brower said. “When Linda [his wife] and I travel, we try to meet up with students who are studying abroad and take them out to dinner and talk to them about how their semester abroad is going.”

Through the Global Ambassador program, students will be able to exchange ideas and hear from people who have already experienced life in the countries where they plan to go. As each new ambassador adds his or her own stories, experiences and personal insight to the program, students’ experiences through the various study abroad programs “will progressively get better and better,” said Serna.

out of forks that day, so we had to put out a lot of plastic,” said Price.

According to Jason Nussbaum, the resident dining manager, about 13,000 people are served in the caf per semester. He said dining services’ main goal is to make sure every person who walks into the caf is satisfied and there is enough for everyone.

Student awareness is also a step in the right direction, said Price.

“We don’t have an endless supply of dishes,” said Price. “We buy a certain number based on the number of population here. So really I just want students to be aware. The whole point behind this is the student, faculty and staff awareness, because we’re all part of the PLNU family here, and that’s what this is really all about. We’re part of it as well.”

Price encourages any questions or to be sent to through dining@pointloma.edu.

2012 Global Ambassadors Julianna Aldredge Scott Callisch Michelle Diaz Barbara Gausewitz

Ryana King Aubree Lew Keio Lewis Arielle Sima

Smallwares Breakdown 200-300 items lost as of Jan. 18

$6,000 spent last semester on restock alone

14 percent loss of items

13,000 people eat per semester

Items received from last semester dorm collection: 50-70 plates, 25 coffee mugs, 40-50 forks 50 items lost per week

60 percent returns expected from dorms Recent buys: 200 cups, 148 coffee mugs

PLEASE SUPPORT THE CAF AND RETURN ALL THE SMALLWARE FROM YOUR ROOMS.

4 | FEATURES

the point weekly | monday, january 23, 2012

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ THE RULES*** 35. In hopes of encouraging students to pay attention during the first day of classes, a few professors are teaming up to write a musical. It will be titled “Academic Accomodations.” 36. You know you’re a big deal if you get a Toilet Paper theme. 37. The caf will be sending “collectors” to the dorm rooms of students suspected of stealing silverware. Hide your spoons; hide your forks. ***These are not actual rules. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Q&A with Todd Clayton by cory saul & alaina bird editors

Todd Clayton, 2011 PLNU alumnus and former ASB Director of Spiritual Life, spoke at All God’s Children for the second time on Sunday. His first time speaking at the forum on homosexuality and faith was March 20, 2011, when he spoke openly about his sexuality to an audience of more than 400 at San Diego First Church of the Nazarene. His coming out served as a catalyst, launching PLNU into a discussion on the issue.

Almost a year later, Clayton returned to share with the forum, this time at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Clayton responded to a few questions via e-mail for The Point Weekly.

The Point Weekly: How has life changed since graduating from PLNU? Todd Clayton: Dramatically.

The freedom I’ve experienced since graduation is difficult to express. I don’t have to be worried that someone might see me on a date or at a bar and try to get me fired—or

worse—tell the newspaper. To live unhindered by anxiety is the greatest gift. As far as specifics are concerned, I suppose much has remained consistent: I still read, write, laugh, run, sing, love my family and wrestle with the church.

“To live unhindered by anxiety is the greatest gift.”

PW: On Sunday, you spoke about your faith. Where are you now and how has the last year brought you to that point?

TC: Holy smokes. These last months have been wrought with challenge. After I stepped down last April, I kind of had this I’m-nevergoing-back-to-the-church-everagain season where I ran as earnestly as I could away from anything that even rhymed with Christianity. After months of searching, however, I’ve landed back at a place of comfort in

my Christian identity. It looks admittedly different than many at Loma, I’m sure: I don’t believe in hell, I don’t think Muslims are wrong, I don’t raise my hands in the air when I sing, I think we should be sexual before we’re married. The imprint of the church is hopelessly on my heart, though, and I’ve been unavoidably marked by the story of sacrifice and love. I’ve reapplied to divinity school and am hoping to begin courses in the fall at Yale, Emory or Princeton.

PW: You also shared many of your writings. Some were from your popular blog (toddandrewclayton.com). What is the role of writing in your life?

TC: Writing makes us better, more honest, more consistent people, I’m convinced. If we do it carefully, it forces us to examine the parts of us we fear most—the parts that keep us up at night and that make us embarrassed to look at our reflection in the mirror. I’ve started sharing my story, largely because it helps me understand what has happened in this last year and allows me to parse

through what are mountains of tales for the things that matter most. That they have somehow spoken into the lives of other people is a tremendous gift.

PW: Are you working on any larger writing projects?

TC: Well, I’m not sure. These stories are kind of piling up, I guess, and I’m trying to figure out what to do with them. I would love the opportunity to weave them into a bigger collection about sexuality and spirituality. I’m working on proposals right now, and—should a publisher bite—I’d be honored to share them more widely.

PW: What advice would you give to PLNU students who are coming to terms with their sexuality?

TC: You’re not alone. This is the shrewdest, loudest lie I remember fighting before I was out. (Hint: there are tons of gays at Loma). Be patient with yourself—and with the people you care about. Understanding an orientation that isn’t heterosexual can take time, and you’re not

crazy if it does. Find people who will affirm and love you, and—when you’re ready—honestly share with them so you don’t have to journey by yourself. Know that being gay is fun.

Go on dates. Don’t be afraid to kiss.

jeff purganan

Former ASB Director of Spiritual Life Todd Clayton spoke at All God’s Children for the second time on Sunday. He shared his story following his coming out as gay to PLNU almost a year ago.

Undefeated ministry serving on and off the field by callie radke staff writer

Warriors, fighters, builders, team members and … servants? Most of these words have been applied to sports teams in the past. But that last one is new, and it is this word “servants” that makes the core of a new student ministry called Undefeated.

“Living a purposed life” is the group’s catchphrase and theme. The ministry started with a group of students on various sports teams. Whether they are clearing people’s dishes in the caf or taking prayer requests and handing out homemade cookies on Caf Lane, serving others is their game.

Senior Austin Rovazzini, who plays on the

men’s soccer team, said the idea started during a prayer group where one of the attendees prayed for the male athletes, who she saw as limping behind in their faith. The idea stuck with Rovazzini and was cemented at a Time Out service, where he felt convicted to do something about the perceived spiritual state of the male athletes. Rovazzini began to talk to his roommates, the captains of the baseball and soccer teams, and friends Sean Lewis and De Andre Jones.

There was a consensus that something could be done about the perceived lax in faith of PLNU athletes. They huddled together and came up with an idea that would create a place for male athletes to meet, share their stories and faith with each other and serve the campus

callie radke

Undefeated ministry leaders: (top row, from left) Bryce Nilsson, Austin Rovazzini, Jonathan Reading, (bottom row) Sean Lewis, Katie Pedlowe, Carleigh Salassi and Austin Fares.

community.

“Undefeated can give us an opportunity, a vehicle for athletes to use their skills to model life for Christ and serve Point Loma and the outside community,” Rovazzini said. “It kind of has the idea of building up each other and then going out and doing something.”

“Undefeated can give us an opportunity, a vehicle for athletes... to model life for Christ and serve Point Loma...”

— Austin Rovazzini They chose to enact works of service as a way to live out the love of Christ.

“Undefeated is determined to reveal a part of God’s character to the people internally involved and externally touched by Undefeated,” Rovazzini said via e-mail. “Clearing dishes, handing out cookies, praying for others are just ways of saying, ‘I love you.’”

Though they want to be part of a conduit for change through service on campus, Undefeated is not a Bible study, junior track team athlete Lewis pointed out.

“It’s kind of just guys talking about how they feel about God,” Lewis said.

Lewis was with Rovazzini at the Time Out service where the idea started. Both realized that stories are important, and that these stories could reach so many people through the PLNU community and the athletic community.

“I don’t want to put the label on it as we’re

going out to save people, but to serve them,” Lewis said.

Undefeated currently has about 20 members. Meetings are held at 8 p.m. Tuesdays in the Ryan Learning Center, room 102. Though the group is geared toward athletes, it is open to anyone who wants to get involved.

The ministry is broken into two parts to cater to men and women. The ladies’ group, though still under the heading of Undefeated, calls itself Captivating.

“We want to create an environment where women can come together and grow as women, kind of in the way the book [‘Captivating’] suggests,” said senior Katie Pedlowe, member of the women’s soccer team and the track team, referring to a book on women’s faith by John and Stasi Eldredge.

Pedlowe explained that a group of women athletes already had a Bible study, but when Rovazzini approached them with the idea of Undefeated, it gave them the opportunity to create something more.

“We just want to see girls grow in their faith together, but [also] do something with what we’re learning,” Pedlowe said.

This philosophy is revealed in Captivating’s mission statement, part of which says, “We want to inspire others to add their own fuel to the fire that intrigues and captivates those who yearn for His kingdom.”

Members of Undefeated and Captivating are striving to serve God by showing his love on campus because, according to Rovazzini, “When you encounter God, it becomes a part of everything, every part of your life.”

Interested in graphic design? The Point Weekly is looking to train a young Padawan for next year’s layout! For more information, contact John Castillo at jcastillo100@pointloma.edu! Start this week!

FEATURES | 5

the point weekly | monday, january 23, 2012

sean sand

H e r e t o d a y, g o n e o n t h e m o r r o w by cory saul

features editor

In this house of quirks, I’m a stiff.

Below me is a makeshift bunk bed bolted to the bedroom wall. Above me is an attic fort of sheets. I sit with a Moleskine and pen, watching Dane Cardiel and Sean Sand chop vegetables. Chicken curry. I just met them.

They’re feeding me.

That part is important. ~~~ Before, when Dane was giving the tour, he showed me a bedroom that used to have trinkets and ornaments hanging from the ceiling, and he showed me the garden, now overgrown and untended. A couple people have already moved out.

Once in the back yard they had a two-person play that ran for three nights. Much-needed overflow seating was at the bottom of the empty concrete pool. They had a carnivalthemed fundraiser for a friend’s knee surgery. An engagement party.

A bachelor party. Filmed multiple movies. Held countless concerts.

He tells me all this without smiling. The atmosphere is apocalyptic.

In the large family room of the house known as the Manor, they fill me in. For more than two years, Sean Sand (known affectionately as “Papa Sean”) had been paying rent to the wrong person. The previous owner of the Manor was renting out a property that he no longer owned. It had been foreclosed. Now a real estate company was coming to them, claiming they had bought the house and that those living in it were to vacate the premises.

Tenant Deleir Georges puts it bluntly: “Our time at the house is coming to an end.”

But they’re still there. Eight in all. Those who remain are not being stubborn, nor are they just desperate. Finding another place to live wouldn’t be too difficult. They aren’t fighting for an ideal or eager for a standoff. No, something else is keeping them there. ~~~ I ask them what the Manor means

to them and it turns into story time.

Sean, a 2007 PLNU grad, tells me the house has done its fair share of dumpster diving.

“It was 5 a.m. and we needed to make breakfast, so we went to a place we knew we could find eggs,” he says.

“We ended up finding four cartons of orange juice, a full thing of cinnamon rolls, plenty of eggs and some raisin bread. We made a full breakfast for 15 people, and they had no idea where it came from.”

I wonder briefly where they got the ingredients for the chicken curry.

Senior Jeff Allen recounts his first night as a resident of the Manor.

“There were tons of tomatoes growing in the backyard, so me and a friend decided to make tomato soup,” he says. “We picked them and boiled the tomatoes and everything.

It tasted like dishwater.”

It’s Dane’s turn. The 2010 PLNU grad takes me to the pantry and leads me up a stepladder to the attic. Icicle Christmas lights hang from the rafters, surrounding draping sheets and thin cots set up in a row.

He sits with his back to the living room’s brick chimney and says, “We were having a going away party for Andrew [Gumm]. Late in the night, after many of the guests had left, we shared stories about his time at the house with us. When we were finished, he spoke, talking for a while about every person in the room, saying what they meant to him. Then he said he had a surprise for us and gave us the end of a thread and told us to follow it. It took us all around the house, into the backyard and even up on the roof. Finally it took us back inside and into the pantry. We climbed up and found this.

“It took him nine months to build it, hammering plywood for a floor and making insulation. And we had no idea. He kept it a secret until that night.” ~~~ In a relatively short amount of time, the Manor became known as a place of creative expression.

Dane currently runs a journal of creative arts called Manor House

joelle soch

In the Manor living room, (from left) Dane Cardiel, Josh Rap, Deleir Georges and Megan Benton talk about the future of a rental they’ve made their own. The residents, who have become known at PLNU for their artistry and performing arts events, may be days from being evicted.

Quarterly. Its third issue, due this spring, will be tied together with the theme of “Space.”

2009 PLNU alum (and Manor alum) Andrew Gumm is an actor and writer. Aside from putting on a play in the backyard during his time at the house, he starred in a short film by friend Bryan Bangerter called “Repeat After Me.” The piece, which was filmed entirely at the Manor, won Best Comedy at the 2011 International Independent Film Festival.

Now living in Nashville, Tenn., Gumm wrote about the environment of the house via e-mail.

“As a household of wayward 20-somethings, we had lengthy conversations about inner architecture; meaning, what the interior aspects of our personalities and souls would look like if they were expressed in an exterior fashion,” he wrote. “Sean Sand’s interior architecture would look like a father’s well lived-in den, Wes Bruce’s would be a house on stilts somewhere where he could see the northern lights. Slowly, we let that interior architecture spill out into the house around us, until it was like we were haunting the place with our own ghosts. We gave each other

cory saul

Manor tenants (from left) Jeff Allen, Sean Sand, Victor Mignea, Josh Rap, Deleir Georges and Dane Cardiel gather in the kitchen before dinner. Cardiel says it could be anywhere from two weeks to 90 days until they are forced out of the house.

encouragement in pursuing all the mad tangents that our wilder sides were drawn to.”

Even with its days limited, the Manor’s walls hang heavy with expression. Paintings, photographs, collages, books, records and wall ornaments surround us.

Dane says the tenants inspire each other.

“I came without much confidence, but this place is full of people who push each other to just go for it,” he says. “They are who they are without question, and they make you feel comfortable in your own skin.”

“It’s a place of creativity, conversation, and being a part of something,” says Sean.

The people are their palette and the house is their canvas. ~~~ When I arrived at the Manor, I saw a hand-written note on the front door. “We are current paying tenants. We rent from our landlord.

Please contact him regarding any further info. You can get his information through the court system.”

I knocked, and yells came from inside telling me to come in. After getting acquainted, they confessed that they were nervous when they heard my knock.

“Only the people who are trying to evict us knock,” said Jeff Allen.

They’re hesitant as I take notes, but it isn’t long before the walls break down and I’m just a regular guest. A stranger at home in moments.

“There is kind of this effortless understanding of hospitality,” says Jeff.

He recounts the story of a man who came to tell them to vacate the premises. After he was finished telling the tenants to leave the property, he went out to his car, but the battery was dead. Jeff and then-tenant Ethan Linstrom, a senior, ended up giving the man a ride to an auto parts store.

Senior Josh Rap says he was hesitant when he moved off campus to the Manor.

“I lived in the dorms for three years, and I had to move off campus

to save money,” Josh says. “I was nervous I’d lose out on that community, you know? But today I feel a bigger sense of community than I ever did in a dorm.”

Deleir Georges, a 2011 SDSU grad, talks about how the Manor has become associated with the arts, but that isn’t why it is special to him.

“We’re not making art, but community.” ~~~ Only a few of us are left at the table. We’re talking about the art scene in San Diego. Jeff and Dane talk about what needs to happen to make an environment where the arts can be fostered.

In the end we agree that it’s about creating a community of people inspiring one another, artists who challenge one another to improve, to do their best.

I look at the paintings and drawings stuck to the walls around me.

They’ll most likely be up for only a few days more. Soon the walls will be stripped, spackled and repainted.

For San Diego, a community like that would be priceless. It would be communion. It would be competition. If such a thing is fostered, even if its existence is fleeting, there is no limit to what its artists can do.

cory saul

6|

the point weekly | monday, january 23, 2012

Jack Urner—junior psychology major. Studied in Belfast, Northern Ireland, through Interstudy.

PW: Why did you choose Ireland?

Urner: Initially, it was the personality I could feel from research. It’s a very personal city, and intimate. The people were the same way—they wanted to take time out for you and not rush. It’s a busy city, but the values

are just different. They don’t mind stopping for a while.

PW: How did you spend your free time there?

Urner: Initially, it was just sightseeing. I didn’t anticipate anything like evangelizing, but I began experiencing God in ways I

didn’t anticipate. I went to this church with about 30 other guys; we met on the second floor of a pub. Foreign students became my closest friends. Everyone was just so open. It made it easy to get to know people and make friends.

Meagan Kathleen Christoph— sophomore media communications major. Studied in Paris, France.

PW: What was the biggest “culture shock” you experienced?

Christoph: Definitely time.

Parisians go through life in a more leisure-like state than Americans do. Time is slow and a lot of things that are rushed in the States just aren’t in France. Meals are

usually around an hour and a half, and that isn’t even counting the time it takes to get the check. At first I would get angry when it would take 20 minutes to get our bill from the server, but I learned to just relax and enjoy my free time.

Alexandra Pineda—senior international studies major.

Studied in San Jose, Costa Rica, through International Studies Abroad.

Many PLNU students talk about bursting the “Point Loma bubble” and spreading their wings. According to Study Abroad Director Frank Serna, 67 students did just that by studying abroad last semester.

Some of these adventurous spirits were kind enough to share their experiences with The Point Weekly.

PW: Why did you choose Costa Rica?

Pineda: After some soul-searching, I decided on Central America.

I am Salvadorian, and I’m a first-generation American. I thought it would be good to get back to my roots.

PW: All right, you were in Costa Rica.

Let’s be honest, was it really just a semesterlong vacation?

Pineda: Ha ha. In all honesty, it was more a vacation than it was a study experience. But I did learn a lot about myself as a person and my values.

It was definitely a life learning experience. I did miss the structure and work load of Point Loma, though. About halfway through I got really bored because I didn’t have much work to do.

|7

the point weekly | monday, january 23, 2012

Chelsea Brock—senior media communications major. Studied in Seville, Spain.

Chris Huerta—sophomore political science major. Studied in Vienna, Austria, through IGE Study Abroad.

PW: What was your favorite thing about being in Vienna?

Huerta: It really was the ability to travel anywhere.

Vienna is kind of in the center of Europe. I was able to travel to a lot of other countries.

PW: Was it difficult adapting to the culture there?

Huerta: You know, I’ll tell you one thing: I actually liked not being able to understand anyone around me. It was kind of cool.

PW: How was the food in Spain?

Brock: It was amazing. There were these desserts called churros con chocolate. But it’s not like churros here. It’s like rolled dough dipped in hot chocolate. Their big meal there is lunch. They serve gazpacho—it’s like cold soup, french fries and steak.

But their schedules are way different there. They sleep a lot. They don’t eat dinner until 10:30-11 at night. You don’t go meet your friends until midnight, and they don’t go to sleep until 7:30 a.m. on the weekends.

PW: What was it like being around people who speak a different language?

Brock: Oh, all the lectures were in Spanish. I didn’t understand it. I had previously taken only Spanish 101-102.

They had these huge debates in class, and I never knew what they were about. Being immersed in the culture, you do pick it up pretty quickly, but their accents are so thick; even if they’re saying something you can understand, sometimes it’s hard to hear.

Before I left, I still couldn’t understand what the girl I was staying with was saying. It was tough.

Arielle Niemeyer—sophomore psychology major. Studied in Greece through Hellenic International Studies of the Arts.

PW: What was the most important thing you took away from your experience abroad?

Niemeyer: It was really different because it was an environment away from the Point Loma bubble, and I was interacting with people whose values are so different from mine. You meet people who are so different from you, and yet you get along so well. More than anything I think it taught me tolerance.

And the friends I made there are just so amaz-

ing. They’re all such driven and passionate people who are out there living and fulfilling their passions. It’s very inspiring.

PW: So, were you looking for an arts school specifically?

Niemeyer: Actually, I didn’t even know it was an arts school until a month before I left. But it was great.

I just got to write the whole time. I guess the closest thing I could compare it to would be a sabbatical. That’s what it felt like.

Keio Lewis—junior business administration major. Studied in Fiji through Global Links Learning Abroad.

PW: Why did you choose Fiji?

Lewis: The surf. And the fact that I miss wearing my boardshorts. I got to wear them almost every day there. It’s too cold to wear them here.

PW: What was the most exciting thing you did there?

Lewis: I faced my fear and went shark diving with aggressive bull sharks…without a cage. And, I was the first one to jump off the boat.

8 | SPORTS

the point weekly | monday, january 23, 2012 1/23: Baseball @ UC San Diego (exhibition), 6 p.m.

1/24: W. Basketball vs. Concordia University, 5:30 p.m.

1/24: M. Basketball vs. Concordia University, 7:30 p.m.

1/25: Baseball vs. Simpson University, 2 p.m.

1/26: Baseball vs. Simpson University, 2 p.m.

1/28: W. Basketball @ Westmont College, 5:30 p.m.

1/28: M. Basketball @ Westmont College, 7:30 p.m.

Men’s basketball rides win streak to second place in GSAC by jacob roth sports editor

PLNU men’s basketball made a run to the top half of the Golden State Athletic Conference standings, winning five GSAC games in a row.

The Sea Lions took on Hope International University, Biola University, Azusa Pacific University and The Master’s College during the past two weeks, winning the first three games before falling to the Master’s Saturday night.

The Sea Lions’ record now stands at 12-5 overall and 5-3 in the GSAC. The spring semester started off well for the Sea Lions, who traveled to Fullerton and defeated Hope International University 5246 on Tuesday, Jan. 10.

After coughing up a big firsthalf lead, the Sea Lions pulled their act together down the stretch and emerged victorious for their third straight GSAC win, led by senior Greg Murray, who scored 15 points.

On Saturday, Jan. 14, the Sea Lions hosted Biola University.

Sophomore Marek Klassen nailed a 3-pointer with the clock winding down, and the Sea Lions upset the NAIA No. 20-ranked Eagles 51-50.

The Sea Lions found them-

selves down by two going into the final possession. But sophomore Hayden Lescault grabbed an offensive rebound and found Klassen waiting outside the arc for the game winner. “[Head Coach Bill Carr] says all the time that you just got to be in rhythm,” said Klassen after the game, “and that’s what I felt like tonight. You always want to win a game like that.”

Klassen led all scorers with 17 points and added five rebounds, and Rhett Beal added nine points and seven rebounds.

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, the Sea Lions once again played spoiler in a 67-65 win over NAIA No. 7-ranked Azusa Pacific in Golden Gymnasium, pushing the win streak to five games.

“It [was] just a good team win,” said Murray. “We work really hard in practice, and it’s just nice to [get a] win out of it.”

Murray poured in 23 points, including the game-deciding 3-pointer, while Klassen and Lescault added 14 and 13 points respectively.

With APU leading 64-62 and a minute remaining, the Sea Lions needed a big play. Lescault dribbled into the paint, spun and found Murray waiting outside the arc.

Murray buried the 3-pointer with 52 seconds left to give PLNU the lead for good.

Saturday night, Jan. 21, the Sea Lions saw an end to their five-game GSAC win streak, losing 63-66 to The Master’s College in Santa Clarita.

The Sea Lions led by as much as 10 points in the first half, but they could not overcome the late

runs by the host Mustangs.

“I thought we had good effort,” said Carr. “I thought we played hard, and I thought we played together. But The Master’s was better tonight. They made plays there at the end.”

Murray was one of three Sea Lions in double figures, leading all scorers with 16 points. Beal contributed 14 points and six re-

bounds, and mustachioed senior Wil Bush added 12 points to go along with four assists.

Next up for the Sea Lions is a home contest against NAIA No. 6-ranked Concordia University Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The Eagles are tied with the Sea Lions for second in the GSAC after losing to No. 16-ranked Westmont College Saturday night.

plnu sports information

Greg Murray took the ball to the hoop against Azusa Pacific Tuesday night. Murray scored 23 points in the Sea Lions’ 67-65 upset win.

Q&A with Star of the Year Erica Wessels by annie miller staff writer

Question: What do San Diego Chargers All-Pro defensive back Eric Weddle, Padres outfielder Cameron Maybin, Olympic snowboarder Shaun White and PLNU women’s soccer player Erica Wessels have in common?

Answer: They are all San Diego Hall of Champions Stars of the Year.

Wessels is one of just 16 elite San Diego athletes who will be honored at the 66th annual Salute to the Champions on Wednesday, Feb. 14. The senior defender

joins seven other amateur athletes to be honored alongside eight professionals.

Wessels’ leadership and eye-popping statistics from her senior campaign made her impossible to overlook. She was named the Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year and first-team All-American, and after leading the Sea Lions to its first-ever conference title and reaching the NAIA National Championship Tournament, this is just the icing on top of the cake.

The Point Weekly spoke with Wessels about her journey to this point and the road ahead.

plnu sports information

This past fall, Wessels led the Sea Lions to the best record in program history.

Point Weekly: You’re a fouryear veteran and you earned the first-ever conference title this year.

How satisfied are you to finally be able to do that your senior year?

Erica Wessels: Yeah, it was pretty incredible to be able to do that my senior year. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to do it with ,and it was just a good way to go out.

It was a huge accomplishment and something we were really proud of.

PW: You scored 12 goals this season, and you’re a defender.

What’s up with that?

EW: (laughs) I just go up on corners most often and that’s where all those goals accumulate from, but it’s definitely not all me. It’s definitely the forwards and a whole team effort. Katie [Pedlowe] does a really good job of getting to the line and creating those opportunities for corners, and then Kallie [Caldwell] puts it on a dime, so I’m like the final little product. It’s definitely not anything I do by myself. It’s definitely all of us.

PW: You’re going to be at this banquet with guys like Adrian Gonzalez and even U.S. women’s soccer player Rachel Buehler. Do you happen to be a fan of any of these people?

EW: Unfortunately, I’m not a huge baseball fan. But when I was watching the World Cup I knew that Rachel Buehler plays my position and she’s from San Diego. She went to Torrey Pines High School, so that was cool to see that somebody around here made it to the

Olympic team and is doing well. But I’m not a huge sports watcher, so I might not know most of the people that are there. I feel like that’s something that I shouldn’t admit (laughs), but it’s totally true. My dad told me that, and I was like, “Who is Adrian Gonzalez?” Maybe that’s pretty stupid of me, but hey, who knows?

Probably five to 10 minutes later, he said, “What’s her name again? Erica Twiggins?” And it just kind of stuck. I don’t know why; my last name doesn’t even sound like Twiggins at all to me, but everyone just kept calling me that.

So, here I am, four years later, and that’s still what everyone calls me.

PW: What a privilege it is to come from this small Christian school and be honored with these elite athletes. Are your parents proud?

EW: My dad will probably be mad at me for admitting this, but he was talking to me the other night about the banquet and he was tearing up a little bit. It is one of the greatest joys of life when your parents are proud of you, so it’s just really meaningful. Just to see their reaction and how proud they are, regardless of the awards. Having the ability to play these four years and to have these great results this year, it’s been really cool to see how much they’ve supported me and how excited and proud they are. They’re looking forward to it.

PW: You’re a nursing major.

What are your goals with that?

EW: In late May I’d like to pass the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) and get a job here in San Diego. I don’t want to leave. I love San Diego.

Hopefully I’ll start working at a pediatrics hospital. I’m just excited to start a real job.

This is what I went to school for, so that’s exciting. Hopefully through that I can have short-term mission trip opportunities for medical missions.

PW: Now, I’ve heard your teammates calling you “Twigs.”

What’s that about?

EW: (laughs) It’s really not the greatest story. My freshman year, we were doing physicals before training camp and I was coming out of the training room. Both the guys’ and girls’ soccer teams were out there, and one of the guys on the team was like, “Oh, who’s that?” and someone said, “Erica Wessels.” He said, “Oh, OK.”

PW: Have you ever thought about playing professional soccer?

EW: Growing up I would watch the Olympics and the World Cup and think that it would be so fun and such a great experience to do that.

But going to private school was more important to me than trying to excel and achieve the status of trying to be a world-class athlete. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m not saying I’m good enough to even do that, but I’m glad that I had the experience at Point Loma. I’m content with playing my four years and moving on and becoming a nurse.

SPORTS | 9

the point weekly | monday, january 23, 2012

New men’s soccer coach hired, Hall focusing on women’s team by amanda mccord staff writer

PLNU Athletic Director Ethan Hamilton announced Wednesday, Jan. 18, that Phil Wolf has been hired as the new men’s soccer coach.

Wolf previously coached at conference rival Azusa Pacific University, where he won an NAIA national title. He comes to PLNU after coaching at NCAA Division I Southern Methodist University from 2009-2011. He had a record of 35-17-5, including a Conference USA championship.

The hiring of Wolf came just more than a month after Coach Tim Hall stepped down as men’s coach last December.

Hall has coached both the men and women’s soccer teams for the last four years. The women have responded well. In these past four years, they have been to the national tournament twice and made

GSAC playoffs every year.

The men’s team, however, has not experienced the same success.

They have barely missed a GSAC playoff birth the last three years.

Hall had been with the men’s team for 16 years. During that time he posted a record of 151-109-21 and nine playoff appearances, a program high. But when Hall took over both programs four years ago, he knew it was an indefinite but still temporary situation.

“The ultimate health is for both teams to have their own coach,” Hall said. “I feel like the guys’ team suffered a little bit under this model. But the thing that really made it work was the rosters.”

Many coaches say their teams become almost like their own sons and daughters (in Hall’s case, his son actually has been on his team for the last four years), and Hall is no exception.

“The longer you’re with a team,

Athletes of the week

the more your heart seeps in,” Hall said. “I care about those kids as so much more than just soccer players. It’s a very bittersweet feeling.”

“The longer you’re with a team, the more your heart seeps in. I care about those kids as so much more than just soccer players.”

- Tim Hall Athletic Director Ethan Hamilton announced Hall’s resignation from the men’s program in December, but the selection process to hire a new coach lasted until last week. Hamilton said the hiring process took so long because of the standards he was looking for in a new coach.

“I really want a coach who cares

by greta wall staff writer

Brianna Colon w. Basketball Colon led the Sea Lions in scoring Tuesday night, dropping 13-ranked points and four rebounds in a 42-59 loss to No. 13 Azusa Pacific.

She also logged nine points and three rebounds in a 57-78 loss at The Master’s College Saturday night.

down to three, they were flown in for in-person interviews.

After the interviews, Wolf, a Wheaton College graduate, was selected.

Men’s soccer co-captain Austin Fares said he is looking forward to the new season with Wolf at the helm.

“I’m excited,” Fares said. “It’ll be good to get a new perspective, and he has a lot of qualifications.

He should bring it to the table.”

Fares is not the only one excited about the hiring of Wolf. Although the split has been difficult for Hall, he is also looking forward to the potential that comes with a new coach.

“I hope the men’s soccer world improves, and I’m going to be their biggest fan,” said Hall. “There’s beauty and sadness [in the split], but the sadness is so much less.”

Women’s basketball wins two, loses two in GSAC play

Greg Murray M. Basketball Murray’s game-winning 3-pointer gave him 23 points in the Sea Lions’ 67-65 win over No. 7-ranked Azusa Pacific Tuesday night.

On Saturday, he led all scorers with 16 points in the Sea Lions’ 6366 loss at The Master’s College.

for players as people and wants them to grow into young men who can become good leaders,” said Hamilton.

It was an open application process, meaning anyone could apply.

Hamilton had a “short list,” as he called it, of coaches he could call if a situation such as this were to come up. But the end decision did not come down to Hamilton.

“I really wanted to leave my bias out of it,” Hamilton said.

So a selection committee was formed. The committee included Associate Athletic Director Russ Blunck, Vice President for Student Development Caye Smith and men’s soccer co-captain JJ Reading, as well as six other faculty and staff members.

More than 50 candidates applied, and the list was then narrowed down to three groups ranking from most desirable downward.

After the applicants were narrowed

The PLNU women’s basketball team experienced an up-and-down start to their spring semester, winning their first two games but dropping the next two.

After victories over Hope International University and Biola University and losses to Azusa Pacific University and The Master’s College, the Sea Lions’ record stands at 12-8 overall, 3-5 in the Golden State Athletic Conference.

For their first game of the semester, the Sea Lions traveled to Fullerton, Calif., to battle it out against the Hope International Royals on Tuesday, Jan. 10. PLNU came out victorious by one point, 64-63.

PLNU guard Brianna Colon led the Sea Lions with 24 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Nyla Bailey also contributed 18 points, but Callie Rhoads gave the Sea Lions the win in the end. With six seconds remaining, she sank the game-winning 3-pointer.

“That feels good,” Rhoads said about her game-winner, “but … it’s a team effort and it always is. And I think that just boosted everyone’s confidence — not just mine.”

The Sea Lions hosted Biola University in Golden Gymnasium for another victory Saturday, Jan. 14.

The first half of the game was largely uneventful, but a 12-4 run to end the period put the Sea Lions up 25-15 entering halftime.

The Sea Lions increased their lead over the Eagles during the second half and triumphed by a final score of 54-31.

Bailey led PLNU with 21 points, and Crissa Jackson and Rhoads followed with 11 and 10 points respectively. Andrea Campbell was a star on defense with seven rebounds and six blocks.

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, the Sea Lions played at home again, this time going head to head with Azusa Pacific University.

Unlike the previous two games, the Sea Lions struggled against the NAIA No. 13-ranked Cougars, falling by a final score of 42-59. Azusa also nearly doubled the Sea Lions’ rebound

total, 66-34.

“It might have been our worst effort all season,” said Head Coach Bill Westphal. “The rebound differential was indicative of how we played.”

PLNU then traveled to Santa Clarita, Calif., to battle The Master’s College on Saturday, Jan. 21, where they were defeated 57-78.

The Sea Lions were hounded into giving up 21 turnovers, and they allowed 12 Mustang 3-pointers.

Bailey led PLNU with 20 points and four rebounds. Abby Boorman had 10 points and eight rebounds, with Colon adding nine points.

The Sea Lions will be hosting Concordia University on Tuesday, Jan. 24, in Golden Gymnasium at 5:30 p.m. The team will also travel to Santa Barbara, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 28, to play No. 4-ranked Westmont College at 5:30 p.m.

“If we give it our all for the rest of the season like we plan to do,” said Campbell via e-mail, “I think we will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the GSAC and nationals.”

SEA LIONS SCOREBOARD

Men’s basketball

Women’s basketball

12/6: L 50-54 @ CSU Dominguez Hills

12/27: L 64-65 vs. Ashford University

1/10: W 52-46 @ Hope International University

12/8: W 75-61 @ CSU San Marcos

1/5: L 50-51 vs. CSU San Marcos

1/14: W 54-31 vs. Biola University

12/10: L 49-65 @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College

12/29: W 80-51 vs. Baker University

1/14: W 51-50 vs. Biola University

12/28: W 74-66 vs. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

1/7: W 62-44 @ Fresno Pacific University

1/17: L 42-59 vs. Azusa Pacific University

12/17: W 70-48 vs. Thompson Rivers University

1/3: W 55-54 vs. San Diego Christian College

1/17: W 67-65 vs. Azusa Pacfic University

12/30: W 57-52 vs. Wellesley College

1/10: W 64-63 @ Hope International University

1/21: L 57-78 @ The Master’s College

12/19: W 91-69 vs. Trinity Western University

1/7: W 70-64 @ Fresno Pacific University

1/21: L 63-66 @ The Master’s College

1/3: L 43-61 vs. San Diego Christian College

10 | OPINION

the point weekly | monday, january 23, 2012 alaina bird abby hamblin cory saul jacob roth alexa mangrum miguel covarrubias john castillo hallie steiner kimberly schaid ethan linstrom

editor-in-chief news editor features editor sports editor a&e editor opinion editor layout editor copy editor ads manager web editor

p | 619.849.2444 ads | 619.849.2301

The hope of the Church by antony wright senior contributor

About a week and a half ago, I saw a link blowing up my Facebook feed: “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus.”

Hmm, that’s an interesting thought.

Elaborate on that for me. I clicked it.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one. This video has managed to turn a few heads — 15 million at last count. And, as with most things, there has been considerable polarization concerning it.

What has frustrated me most about the video has been the reaction.

Primarily it has been received as a “call to arms” to either “defend your church against the onslaught of secularism” or to “rise up against the sinful institution of the church.” To be frank, the resulting arguments just weren’t doing it for me — there are too many ironies on all sides.

So, if not a call to arms, then what?

How am I to receive such a harsh critique? How are we, those who proclaim Jesus’ name, who claim to participate in the new life of His Body — His Holy Church —supposed to receive it?

From examining the lives of the saints before, it has become apparent

to me that the answer is with mourning and repentance. We must repent just as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, seeing the end of World War II on the horizon, would seek repentance as part of the German church.

“When we hear complaints such as the ones Jefferson Bethke voiced, we receive them as complaints not against some vague entity, ‘the man,’ but as justified complaints against each of us.”

Bonhoeffer had resisted the Nazification of Germany and the church since the first days of the Third Reich, and yet even still he knew his place. When all was said and done, he would need to repent alongside all the other German Christians (and the rest of Christendom, but that’s another issue entirely).

The opinions in this section may not reflect those of The Point Weekly or of Point Loma Nazarene University. Letters to the editor and columns are subject to editing for length, taste, grammar and clarity. Letters to the editor must include the author’s name, major, class standing and phone number and be limited to 500 words. Please submit your opinions to mcovarrubias125@pointloma.edu.

|

www.pointweekly.com

Tender Instead of pride (“If the rest of Germany were like me, this would not be the case”), he had a deep sense of mourning (“What have we done?”). To act in any other manner would be to imply that, had he been living, he would not have been among the scoffers at Golgotha 2,000 years ago.

When we hear complaints such as the ones Jefferson Bethke voiced, we receive them as complaints not against some vague entity, “the man,” but as justified complaints against each of us individually. We mourn the pain we have caused. We repent. The church ought to be an ocean of Grace. We must change.

We must radiate that Grace. We must embody it in each and every one of our local congregations. And the only way that can be done is if we come alongside our brothers and sisters in repentance, pick up our crosses and follow Him, allowing ourselves to be transformed.

An aside: In terms of this specific video, Bethke has a back-and-forth with Kevin DeYoung that is quite hopeinspiring and worth a read. It’s a good example of how we in the church are meant to approach and treat each other as we work through such things.

Textbooks: Major differences

by ethan linstrom senior web editor

I know a place where all sorts pass though.

A utopian marketplace where multicolored collars sit to share food and drink. One of the last freethinking sailors’ paradises surrounded on all sides by the suburban state I grew up in.

The doors open at 5 p.m. and bring with their invitation a host of characters with stories.

The first on this Monday night was a retired physics teacher who shared how undergraduate programs were in his day. An older man who had played in the NHL then rehashed the days when Bobby Orr was just a punk kid playing without a facemask.

Next, a ship captain and his wife brought up the story of the Italian cruise liner that ran aground in Italy, killing at least a dozen people; he was incensed that the captain was one of the first off the vessel.

Faces and stories poured forth as liberally as the Cabernet Sauvignon.

A city council member and his wife offered opinions on San Diego pension reform.

A dog breeder in his 50s advocated the intelligence of poodles.

Two younger surfers came in telling stories of 24-hour lit waters in Costa Rica, where the surfing never ends.

And toward the end of the evening, a widower shared a piece of his beloved wife’s passion for Hemingway, and the story of how cancer had taken her six months prior.

I work in the presence of a beautiful cross-section of humanity.

Each story is accompanied with living wisdom told solely to expand the perspective of the audience. Not a single time in my eight-hour shift did anyone stake a claim to intellectual property.

Here, ideas pass hands, dreams are edited and redistributed and no single person holds the copyright.

It’s a place where multiple voices collaborate on topics that are as diverse as the speakers’ individual backgrounds. I count myself lucky to work in such a position to be able to glean the wisdom of men and women older and farther traveled than myself.

“Here, ideas pass hands, dreams are edited and redistributed and no single person holds the copyright.”

I am sure of few things in this life; however, in a world where community seems harder and harder to find and easier to imitate on the World Wide Web, there is an incalculable preciousness in the ability to freely express ourselves, and spaces that welcome individuals to express themselves on whatever medium are worth fighting for.

Whether through listening to stories while working at a restaurant or having access to the “free, collaborative Internet encyclopedia,”* long live shared thought. *Quote from Wikipedia

Awkward Sea Lion: Sharing your Loma fails

...and no one comes, so you eat all the party snacks alone.

Submit your Awkward Sea Lion moments to mcovarrubias125@pointloma.edu

courtesy of camron cluff

Have an opinion piece or comic you would like to share? Submit your piece to Miguel Covarrubias at mcovarrubias125@pointloma.edu

You plan a party in your dorm room...

You put your bag away in the caf cubbies...

A stranger asks you to take a picture of him...

...then he asks someone else to take the same picture.

...and you get stuck there waiting for people to put their stuff away.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 11

the point weekly | monday, january 23, 2012

ART BRIEF: ‘Tangled Up in Blue’ exhibit makes Keller Gallery debut by alexa mangrum a&e editor

The Professional Artist Exhibit hosted through February in the Keller Gallery features the work of PLNU alumnus (’03) Bryan Miller.

Miller, who recently earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting, completed his undergraduate studies with a concentration in graphic design. The exhibit opened in Keller on Jan. 16 and will conclude Feb. 10.

Though Miller is currently based out of Los Angeles, the exhibit features nine large-scale paintings composed of vivid imagery that draw influence from his upbringing in Hawaii.

“My aim is to create shared visceral experiences that reflect the transitory search for comfort,” Miller described.

Though Miller incorporates traditional tropical images into his work, he also seeks to expose and “embrace a more truthful and troubled reality.”

All of the pieces chosen for the

bryan miller

“Tangled in Blue,” an exhibit by PLNU alumnus Bryan Miller, is currently on display in the Keller Gallery. An artist reception with Miller will be held on Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. in the gallery. All are invited to attend.

Keller exhibit were originally part of his senior thesis show at Claremont Graduate School, which debuted this past October. For Miller, transporting the show proved easy as faculty and students helped transition the works from their original location in Claremont to San Diego.

“Keller Gallery hasn’t changed much since I attended Point Loma,” Miller noted. However, he said,

“When I was a design major and had my senior show back in ’03, I split the space with two other students.”

Now showing his work in a solo exhibit, the gallery space seems bigger than he remembered. Regardless, while hanging the works on the walls of the gallery, Miller said the experience of returning to the space “felt as if [he] was getting a bunch of old friends together again.”

Much like any recent graduate, Miller’s plans for the future are centered on what he describes as the ever “elusive postgrad job.”

Just like the truth infused into his art, Miller knows that truthfully life after graduation may keep him on the “grind for a bit.” Ultimately, he’s “just at the beginning of it all,” he said.

To hear more from Miller, all are

invited to join the artist at a reception featuring a live discussion to be held Tuesday, Jan. 24, from 6-9 p.m. in Keller Gallery.

MUSIC MOMENT: Painted Palms delivers psych-pop perfection by alexa mangrum a&e editor

Music bloggers tend to be a wordy bunch, always apt to classify new bands with fancy adjectivery in an attempt to describe whatever new sound they’ve discovered. The rave reviews surrounding the debut EP “Canopy” by psych-pop band Painted Palms are no exception.

Composed of cousins Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme, who demonstrate kinetic energy, the band fuses twinkling synths with soft, simple vocals for an ethereal effect. Featuring a collage of sounds that meld pure harmonies with infectious danceable rhythms drawn from afro-beat influence, the band is well suited to fans of Neon Indian and Panda Bear.

Perhaps the best attempt to concisely describe the band comes from SF Weekly, which described their

sound as a bit like an “aural safari.”

However, across the board, from the reviews of infamous music review site Pitchfork, (which undoubtedly holds rule over which bands will become definitive players in the cult of indie-rock cool), to the crazy crowd that came out for their San Diego concert a few weeks ago, the vote is clear. Painted Palms holds undeniable appeal.

Regardless of all the comparisons, the melodies of Painted Palms truly exist in a world of their own. With an EP full of disarmingly charming tracks such as “Falling Asleep,” the sound of Painted Palms lives in a dimension where one might find Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys swaying along to electro music in its most pure, delicious sense.

However, Prudhomme cites more classic pop roots such as David Bowie, Tame Impala and former tourmates BRAIDS as influential to their music.

“We really like straight up pop

Going to Coachella?

Send your reviews and photos to Alexa Mangrum at camangrum270@ pointloma.edu

music,” Prudhomme explained. “Full ’60s pop music, that sort of thing… but we also really like the modern textures that more modern pop music brings to the table.”

Formed in early 2011, the group released its five-track EP in June after signing with the label Secretly Canadian.

The label, which has released material from acts like Animal Collective and Yeasayer, approached the band last April via a Myspace message, which was ironically fitting for the tech-savvy band.

While Donohue and Prudhomme

grew up next door to one another in Louisana, the two were forced to collaborate long distance on the EP, using all modes of technology to complete the tracks when Donohue moved to San Francisco for college.

A full-length album is in the works, but school comes first as the two remain very much typical college kids.

“Our last show [of their most recent tour] is my first day of class,” Prudhomme, a senior English major, explained.

For the semester, any new tracks

will be produced separately until the two get a chance to collaborate again.

“Until early May, we won’t be doing anything. I’ll be in my room, writing, or I’ll come out and stay on Reese’s floor [in San Francisco],” he said.

Though the completion of a fulllength album may be at least a few months away, it’s easy to remain content with the debut EP, as the music of Painted Palms has the capacity to teleport one to a space where time need not exist.

12 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

the point weekly | monday, january 23, 2012 1/23 Human Rights Film Festival @ Museum of Photographic Arts, 10:30 a.m.

1/24 “Tangled Up In Blue” Artist Reception @ Keller Gallery, 5 p.m.

1/25 Study Abroad Resource Fair @ Caf Lane, 10:30 a.m.

1/26 Network 9 Art, Design and Music Forum @ Colt Hall, 5 p.m.

1/26 ’70s Skate Night @ Skateworld, 8:30 p.m.

1/29 Long Short Storytelling Event: Lost @ Space 4 Art, 7 p.m.

2/3 AIGA Unite Conference: Listen up @ Fermanian School of Business, 5 p.m.

Project Lomaland: Greet your new fashion gurus by alexa mangrum a&e editor

Style-conscious Point Lomans pay attention; from this point forward (no pun intended), look no further for cutting edge insight into the fashion world. Ian “Tim Gunn” Crane and Kelsey “Encyclopedia of Fashion” Bergstrom have got you covered.

With a mission to extensively search out the latest trends and local fashion events throughout the semester and report them back to The Point Weekly, this duo will make going from “drab to totally fab” easier than ever before.

Both hold experience with fashion on personal and professional levels. Bergstrom, a junior fashion merchandising major, recently studied abroad in Paris and designed the dresses for the PLNU Homecoming Coronation 2011. With her signature look described as a “smiling face,” Bergstrom loves testing the boundaries of trends, mixing prints and color blocking.

“If you have not encountered this fierce and innovative girl, your life is not complete,” Crane warns.

A self-described “fashion oracle,” Crane, a sophomore pursuing a double major in visual arts and philosophy, confesses he may hold a slight addiction to cardigans and his signature oxford shoes.

Ever knowledgeable of the next big

trend, for those wondering, Crane predicts fur as the next big thing. “Quote me: Fur will be everywhere,” he claims.

Though predicting fashion trends can be hit or miss, regardless of trends past, present or future, both Bergstrom and Crane cite clothing store Buffalo Exchange, located in Hillcrest and Pacific Beach, as their favorite place in San Diego to scout and shop.

Read on for more fashion insights the two shared via e-mail with The Point Weekly.

Point Weekly: From where do you gather inspiration?

Ian Crane: I get most of my fashion inspiration from observing people in urban environments. I love everything urban, so I find a lot of inspiration from the lifestyle. I also just browse through stores and try on daring things.

Kelsey Bergstrom: Magazines, blogs and different websites. I love reading “The Man Repeller” blog as well as “The Satorialist.”

PW: What would you consider the most fashion-conscious city you have visited?

KB: Paris last summer was such a wonderful experience that influenced and inspired me in so many ways!

IC: It is probably a three-way tie

Snapshot of the Week: Josh Roque

between New York, San Francisco and Portland [for me]. They all have such different styles. I can’t choose just one.

PW: Who is your celebrity style crush?

IC: For menswear, Justin Timberlake, and for womenswear? Florence Welch [of Florence + the Machine].

KB: Sarah Jessica Parker.

PW: What is one trend you wish you could wear but are too scared to try?

KB: Not applicable!

IC: Jeans and a T-shirt.

PW: One trend you would ban forever?

IC: Leggings as pants!

KB: Crocs.

PW: What are three words you would use to describe the fashion on campus?

KB: Innovative, urban, flannel.

IC: Easygoing, urban, eclectic.

For more tips, tricks and discoveries from the fashion world, keep reading the ever-chic Point Weekly.

“She’s So Sassy” The snapshot of the week comes courtesy of the Driftwood creative arts journal. Featuring works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, music, film and photography, this year’s edition will be released in early February.

About the Photo: “The picture is of neighborhood kids who lived nearby a family I stayed with in Boaquito, Nicaragua, in March 2011. I am a junior international business major with a minor in sustainability studies and would love to return to Nicaragua ASAP!” -Josh Roque

[literary spotlight: poetry] Dear Mom And Dad, I reserve the right to refuse service To anyone who does not agree with My version of Right Life is too messy to neglect The Rules of Me When everyone agrees with me The world will be Perfect Because my rules are Right They work.

I am so happy I am so perfect Just like you taught me My friends do not agree, so They are not my friends anymore But there are plenty others who will Listen to me Because it only hurts When I stop talking.

courtesy of ian crane

Meet Ian “Tim Gunn” Crane and Kelsey “Encyclopedia of Fashion” Bergstrom, The Point Weekly’s own fashion experts. Throughout the semester, look for updates on the latest trends and information on local fashion events.

- Chloe Sparacino

For more information about Unite, an AIGA (American Institution of Graphic Artists) conference hosted by PLNU, visit www.sandiego.aiga.org/events/2012/02/73703813 and check out next week’s preview of the upcoming event! event branded by victoria baughman