Issue 18 by LomaBeat.com

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GEORGE WILLIAMSON TO RECORD SECOND ALBUM, PG.5

The Point Weekly point loma nazarene university

monday, march 23, 2014

volume 42 | issue 18

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

PHOTO COURTESY OF PLNU SPORTS INFORMATION PLNU’s men’s basketball team became national champions on Saturday, March 22 when it defeated Grace College in the National Christian College Athletic Association Division I tournament championship. The game was played in Winona Lake, Ind. and the Sea Lions defeated the Lancers 75-73.

Ukraine LoveWorks team still planning to go BY ROSS NEDERHOFF STAFF WRITER

Kiev, Ukraine—a city currently plagued by dangerous political unrest and intense protest. A city wrought with confusion and uncertainty, in need of love and encouragement. And that is just what a group of PLNU students plan to offer this upcoming summer. Stemming from a decision made in November of 2013, citizens of Ukraine have been in a state of violence, protest and dismay for the past several months. Their president at the time, Viktor Yanukovych, decided not to become part of the European Union last year, causing intense disappointment among locals. What followed in the next months was a devastating amount of blood-

shed and unwarranted destruction of the city’s governmental properties. More recently, the citizens of Ukraine have been angered once again with the announcement of the annexation of Crimea. However, before Ukraine was in the international spotlight, this country was already on the hearts and minds of those in Spiritual Development at PLNU. For the past three years, Brian Becker, director of international studies and his LoveWorks team have been contemplating the idea of the Ukraine as one of their summer mission trip destinations. Becker and his team decided to officially offer it as a LoveWorks stop as everything started to fall into place this past October. One major component that played largely into the initial planning process was the possibility

of a PLNU affiliated host family in Ukraine. Silvia Cortez, a former PLNU employee, is now married to a pastor in Kiev and offered their church as a ministry headquarters. In January, the dates of Aug. 1 to Aug. 18, were chosen. From this point on, all of the details were further determined. And now, in Ukraine’s time of disturbance, a LoveWorks Ukraine team prepares to enter a mission environment unlike any other. Although it may seem like traveling to this region at this time is misguided, George Williamson, director of worship ministries and leader of Team Ukraine sees it as just the opposite. “Many of our LoveWorks trips take people out of their boundaries, and we’re okay with that,” said Williamson. “Churches in Crimea are

tense right now and their unity is compromised. We have the opportunity to encourage and enrich tired, confused and uncertain people, and we couldn’t ask for anything more.” Team Ukraine’s focus is in worship and they plan to lead a worship conference for the first half of their service. The second portion of the trip will be a 10 day camp for local youth and young adults, comprised of counseling, team leading, games and spiritual lessons. As for the team’s safety, Williamson does not see it as a large enough issue to postpone the trip. “We trust our hosts for information on the true state of their countries and we would never purposely put our team members in danger,” said Williamson. “There are hot spots of violence within Kiev, but all of the other

areas are going about their everyday lives.” Sophomore team member, Victoria Sibingo, has been following the daily updates from the Ukraine as she prepares to visit this summer and although she is saddened by the conflict, she is not fearful of the travel plans. “I think that more than anything this political instability will change our approach as a team,” said Sibingo. “We can in essence be an encouragement to the Ukrainians by emphasizing the light of Jesus Christ in the midst of this dark situation. This prospect excites me even more.” The team is preparing for the trip by coming up with worship sets and doing team-bonding activities.

the point weekly | monday, march 23, 2014

2 | NEWS

Senior honor students prepare to present their projects BY VANESSA DOTINGA STAFF WRITER

Final preparations for the presentation of Senior Honors Projects are wrapping up for the Honors Conference held in April. The conference will showcase seniors from nearly every department who have worked for the past year on various research projects. Honors scholars are students with a 3.5 or higher GPA and senior standing who are invited to participate in the Honors Program. Roughly 32 students accept the invitation and complete their projects each year. These students pick a faculty member as a mentor and develop a topic to research for the majority of their senior year. Writing major, Callie Radke is one of this year’s honors scholars. Her project is writing the stories of three women from marginalized groups of society: the homeless, the disabled and the immigrant. Besides the time commitment and responsibility to be self-motivated, Radke also acknowledges the challenges of taking on this particular project. “The fact that I’m writing someone else’s life alone is a challenge,” said Radke via email. “I legitimately wanted to transfer people from life to the page and try to illuminate what isn’t in the spotlight. That’s terrifying and exciting at the same time.” According to Mark Mann, director of the Honors Program, the benefits are well worth the cost for those who can handle the workload. “For many students, their honors projects will build their resumes, can help them land jobs and will prepare them for the next step as a sort of capstone to their education,” said Mann. Participating in an honors project does more than boost a student’s resume; the journey teaches students to develop skills needed in the professional field. “Students are entering into the world of scholarship and learning to communicate their ideas,” said Mann. “We invite them to contribute to what we call the greater ‘conversation of knowledge’ in a particular field.” These honors scholars are the only students formally acknowl-

edged by the university at graduation; all other honors are through the individual departments. “I would consider this the highest honor a student can attain, to have worked on something so significant,” Mann said. “For a lot of students, finishing their honors project is a bigger celebration than graduation itself.” David Liestman’s project is to write a children’s advent musical based on the work of St. Francis of Assisi. St Francis’ play (taken from Luke) is responsible for the popular nativity scene of Christ’s birth. For Liestman, his research into the life of St. Francis for his project has led to his own personal growth. “The amount you learn and grow from it is very humbling,” said Liestman. “Learning the joys of St. Francis in the humility of Christ and His birth made me look at what it really means to be a Christian.” Students work closely alongside their mentors who guide them as they research. “Michael Clark and I have been talking about this project for about a year and he’s helped me form and shape both the writing and research,” said Radke. “I also am working with a committee that includes Clark, Dean Nelson and Melissa Tucker. It’s a huge benefit to work closely with professors and challenge yourself.” New developments are ahead for the Honors Program. Mann is currently structuring a humanities-focused, four-year program that would start a cohort of students on an honors pathway from their freshmen year and would send them abroad together as a group. “We are setting up a track for these students to get an honors experience, an enhanced learning experience,” said Mann. “Once they were seniors, their involvement in the Honors Program would be the same as it is now.” Mann hopes to launch the program next year. This year’s Senior Honors Conference will be held Saturday, April 12 in Fermanian and will consist of a combination of oral and poster presentations.

Love Art Gallery opening

PHOTO BY SAM CHRISTOPHER Students Clayton Hamill, Lara Khodanian and Jonathan Paul observe art by Emily Poole in the Love Art Gallery in the bottom level of Nicholson Commons which opened on March 20.

Tuition Freedom Day

PHOTO BY ROSS NEDERHOFF Volunteers Eric McPherson, Alexis Drakodaidis and Trevor Brown hold signs on Caf Lane to guide students after chapel to the ARC to write “Thank You” letters for Tuition Freedom Day on March 19. Tuition Freedom Day celebrates financial support PLNU receives from alumni contributions, donor gifts, corporate sponsorships and foundation support. After students wrote their letters they received a free T-Shirt.

SECTION EDITORS WANTED THE POINT WEEKLY IS LOOKING FOR SECTION EDITORS FOR THE 2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR. THE OPEN POSITIONS ARE:

ASSISTANT DESIGN EDITOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

COPY EDITOR

NEWS EDITOR

WEB EDITOR

FEATURES EDITOR

ADS MANAGER

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

DESIGN EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT ABBY HAMBLIN AT:

OPINION EDITOR

ABBYHAMBLIN0105@POINTLOMA.EDU.

monday, march 23, 2014 | the point weekly

FEATURES | 3

features

THINK ON THAT

SEN•IOR•I•TIS noun: A supposed affliction that strikes college seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track pants, a lack of studying, repeated class absences and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is graduation.

Student spring break stories Tijuana, Mexico Amy Nordberg, Junior I had the humbling opportunity to spend my spring break across the border, building a church expansion for Iglesia Del Nazareno in Tijuana, Mexico. Myself and 40 or so other PLNU students earned some calluses on our hands and dirt under our fingernails while we were able to construct a 40 by 80 foot “multipurpose room” complete with bathrooms. The days were very long — we worked from right after breakfast (around 8:30 a.m.) until just before dinner (usually around 6:30 p.m.). However, we were so blessed to PHOTO BY AMY NORDBERG have been fueled by some of the best Forty students, faculty and staff members went to Tijuana, Mexico over Mexican food we’ve ever had. Some spring break to build a facility for a local church Iglesia Del Nazareno. members of the church worked alongside us, including the pastor of

last year’s church build, Alejandro. I had the chance to meet some pretty wonderful people who were very accepting of my horribly broken Spanish. By participating in the build, I also got to learn a lot about construction — I can now pretty much consider myself a professional rebar-ist, drywall-er and stucco-er. All in all, it was a really awesome experience and I’m so thankful to have been a part of it. And spending my spring break getting to know Tim Whetstone, Mary Paul and Bobby B was a plus, too. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone wanting to go next spring break!

Rosarito, Mexico Ryan Shoemaker, Sophomore Over spring break I was fortunate enough to go alongside PLNU’s Surf Team after their third place finish in the all-state college competition, on a surf and serve trip to Mexico. We paired with Beautiful Feet, an organization that provides shoes for the underprivileged across the globe. Rosarito was our home base for most of the week where, in between tacos and surf sessions, we worked with Catharine’s Kids, an orphanage for special needs children. The opportunity to be a part of those kid’s day to day for those brief hours was eye opening; PHOTO BY RYAN SHOEMAKER we were so blessed by their infectious joy, amid what can seem to be overStudents Bryce John and Ben Nease play with local boys in Rosarito, Mexico. John and Nease went with the PLNU surf team to serve at the whelming circumstances. One day we orphanage Catherine’s Kids. They also spent some time in the waves. made our way up to Tijuana where we

took part in the Spring Break Build with some fellow classmates. And to top off the week we visited a Oaxacan (wah-hawk-in) community. They are the lowest class of Mexico. They have their own dialect and many don’t even speak Spanish. The adults work in the fields an average 10 hours a day, 6 days a week to just barely feed their family. In our day there we spent a lot of time rough housing with the rambunctious niños and doing some various service projects. We spent the afternoon there washing their feet and giving them shoes. After a solid game of futbol we closed out the week with one last dawn patrol and headed back to Loma. It was an incredible week spent experiencing God’s kingdom

Greece Ryan Fuentes, Senior For Spring Break 2014, seven of my fellow classmates and I accompanied Dr. Kennedy on a trip to Greece for a sailing excursion through the Saronic Gulf. There were many official purposes as well as individual goals we had for our Greek venture. Among them were: to explore and appreciate ancient history and ruins, to enjoy an adventurous sailing voyage on waters fared by those some of us had read about in our textbooks and of course to indulge in the delight that is Greek culture, cuisine and hospitality. Our fearless leader, Dr. Rick Kennedy, was always willing and PHOTO BY JENNIFER FARRELL able to keep the conversation lively Seven students accompanied Rick Kennedy, professor of history, on a trip to Greece where they sailed through the Sardonic Gulf, toured iconic with talk of the origins and practices of ancient Greek Democracy, the historical sites and conversed about the rich history of the area. teachings of Paul throughout Greece

as we traced the path he makes found in Acts and of course the many stories told by the famous ancient historian, Herodotus. Speaking of these things while being present at places such as the Acropolis, the Pynx, Ancient Corinth or even out on the Saronic Gulf was always quite entertaining and enjoyable. Except perhaps if such a conversation was being had onboard our boat as all of us (with the exception of Dr. Kennedy) were feeling seasick. Nevertheless, even if this trip were possible without our brilliant professor and captain, it would not have been nearly as gratifying. I believe I can speak for the other seven of my fellow “Sailor Scholars” in saying that our trip proved to be quite a spirited and amazing adventure.

GREY AREA the black the white and the in between.

Every year at the beginning of March, 64 NCAA college basketball teams are selected based on season records, schedule difficulty and other factors and are invited to play in a tournament known fondly as March Madness. Millions of brackets are filled out as people attempt to guess who will win the games of the tournament. Warren Buffett even offered $1 Billion to the owner of a perfect bracket. We asked PLNU students if they care about the tournament.

Making a bracket is fun. I hate to say it but it’s really the only real time I pay attention to college basketball. It’s a lot of fun. - Noah Garcia, Senior What’s March Madness? -Cameron Wilkens, Freshman I made a bracket but I had no idea who the teams are and probably won’t watch until the Final Four. -Orin Mozon, Senior I know what it is but don’t have time to care about it. -Paige Lebarre, Sophomore I know that March Madness has to do with basketball but I can only name 3 basketball teams. -Kasey Hartdegen, Senior What is March Madness? I only watch Mexican soccer. -Israel Romero, Junior I know what it is and follow it a little. -Wesley Hoogenboom, Freshman It’s obnoxious on social media, but I understand the fun of getting into it. I don’t care and I don’t participate in it. It’s college basketball right? -Taylor Ambrose, Senior I’ve never participated in March Madness and don’t really care to. But I think it’s a fun way for those who are fans of the sport to come together and find out who the best teams are. -Katie Martinez, Freshman Compiled by Abby Hamblin

the point weekly | monday, march 23, 2014

4 | FEATURES

More student spring break stories FROM PAGE 3

Zion National Park, Utah Sam Christopher, Junior

PHOTO BY SAM CHRISTOPHER After a seven hour long drive, 10 students found themselves under the towering canyon walls of Zion National Park in Utah. Though the nights were freezing, their days of bouldering were warm and they even got up close and personal with a herd of deer.

We set out, two cars stuffed full to the brim with 10 people, food and camping supplies; our destination: Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah. The cost of our campsite was about $4 per person per night, which is super cheap considering we had access to running water, working toilets and views of the canyon walls unlike anything you’ve ever seen. We started out by doing a bit of bouldering. In the park, deer roam free and we were lucky to get within five feet of a small herd while we were climbing. During our trip we hiked a part of The Narrows, which is a 16 mile long canyon carved out by the Virgin River. The canyon walls were thirty feet high at its narrowest point. We also hiked into the Orderville Canyon, a side canyon in The Narrows, which requires

climbing up several waterfalls. The next day we hiked Angels Landing, a towering rock spire perched in the middle of the canyon, offering breathtaking views. We were having so much fun we opted to stay an extra night. The next day we continued to hike and climb and explore the canyon. As we left I began to feel sick also. We later stopped in Palm Springs where six guys and myself fell ill, stricken by the stomach flu. Although most of us became violently ill for a night, it wasn’t enough to ruin a remarkable trip filled with incredible bouldering, world-class canyons, sleeping under the stars and one of a kind fellowship.

Celebrating (Dis) Ability Awareness Week BY BREANNA COUCH STAFF WRITER

On campus at the Disability Resource Center (DRC) there are people

to help those who struggle with a disabilities, whether they be physical or mental and support them and provide whatever services are needed. In association with the DRC is an organization called Delta Alpha Pi (DAP), which recognizes students who have outstanding academic achievements alongside being enrolled in the DRC. The DAP is an international society, though the group at PLNU is the only one in San Diego and one of three in California. This week DAP is hosting (Dis) Ability Awareness Week, which gives students a chance to ask questions, learn and experience what it means to have a disability. On March 24,

the group will hold a discussion surrounding the book “I Am Intelligent” by Peyton Goddard and DAP leaders hope for opportunities to share with students throughout the week about their group and its purposes. Students in DAP mostly seek to express how having a disability does not mean that one is broken down, sidelined, out of action, broken, or weak. Nichole Hope-Moore, director of the DRC says, “some people have a hard time with the word ‘disability’ and they don’t even like to come into my office because it says ‘disability’. They don’t want to associate with the negativity around it.” Opposing negativity, the center

is instead all about supporting students and focusing on their abilities. The members of DAP each have their own struggles they have had to overcome and they wish to share that with other students. “(They) have the resources here and we do want to help you. This is something that we deal with; we’re professional about it,” says senior Angelica Diaz de Leon, president of DAP. Secretary of DAP, Kristen Houp believes that the way people understand and see the word “disabled” starts with how disabled people see themselves. “How do we reach that student who has a disability,” Houp often asks herself. “How do we not just change,

but help them develop their own self confidence, their own self advocacy and see the truth about themselves? It really starts with how people with a disability see themselves.” By taking charge of their disability, students can lead better, more successful and joy-filled lives. Junior Molly Krumpe stresses that ability is what is emphasized within the organization and in the DRC. “For in our weakness we are strong,” she says. “Not by our strength, but by His strength. So that’s really the emphasis we want to make.”

STUDY ABROAD PHOTO OF THE WEEK

JOURNEYING

IN JAPAN

“Living and studying in Japan has been such a challenging and growth provoking experience. It’s difficult entering an environment that I can never fully assimilate into. However, I love the Japanese language and though I physically cannot “fit in” here, when I

Interpreting Paul for the Future of the World

A Conference with

N. T. WRIGHT MAY 1–3, 2014 fuller.edu/ntwright

make the effort (and people are patient with my horrible Japanese skills) there are many ways to build friendships and

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAYLOR RIVERS Junior International Studies major Taylor Rivers is studying at Kansai Gaidai University in Hirakata-shi, Japan. She is seen here eating her favorite Japanese food, a dish called Okonomiyaki, which has a grilled pancake-like base made of flour, egg and cabbage, topped with endless shrimp, noodles, scallops and squid. Rivers says the locals call the dish “Osaka soul food.”

connections with people.” - Taylor Rivers

Fuller school oF theology PAytoN lectures 2014 MiroslAv volF | APril 30 & MAy 1 Fuller.edu/PAytoNlectures 8549-14-Fuller NTWright PointLoma.indd 1

3/13/14 10:59 AM

monday, march 23, 2014 | the point weekly

a&e

A&E | 5

UPCOMING EVENTS

Recording live from Brown Chapel BY AMY NORDBERG STAFF WRITER

This Friday, March 28, George Williamson’s newest worship album will be recorded live in Brown Chapel. Williamson’s album “All Things” was also recorded live during a Time Out service in 2011. Travis Cook, Worship Ministries media coordinator, will be mixing the live sound for the event. He said the recording process will be fairly similar to the last one, with a few exceptions. “Now we have three years of additional experience that will go a long way to make the final product that much better,” Cook said. The team was very happy with the last album and the positive feedback contributed to the decision to record another album. Senior Orin Mozon was present at the last recording. “The thing I loved about [that recording] was that it was a night of worship,”

Mozon said. “For me, it wasn’t about being a voice on some album, it was just a time to worship and I loved it.” Williamson, director of Worship Ministries, said he loves the sound of people worshipping along with him,and that has been one of the ultimate inspirations for creating another album. “If I didn’t really, really enjoy the sound of people worshipping, it would be much easier to do this in a studio,” Williamson said. “But I love to worship with people, and I absolutely love that sound.” Williamson has spent months preparing for this new album. He has been writing new material that deals with themes sometimes difficult to find in other worship music. “The first step was committing in my heart to do [another recording],” Williamson said. In January, Williamson invited the band, with whom he recorded the previous album, to return for this sopho-

more album. Because several of the musicians do not currently live in San Diego, Williamson assumed he would not be able to get them together again. But they all said yes. Sophomore Julius Obregon, one of this year’s worship interns, will be joining the team, as well. Williamson’s overall process for writing new music and preparing for traditional songs has included “plenty of prayer, plenty of feelings of inadequacy, plenty of confessing that I can, at best, make a pretty decent sounding music product.” There will be 12 full songs on the final album and it will become available for purchase in mid-July. For anyone interested participating in the live recording, it will take place at 7 p.m. on March 28 in Brown Chapel. Email plnuworship@pointloma.edu for more information.

PHOTO BY TRAVIS COOK George Williamson rehearses worship songs that he will be performing this week with a band of alumni and one current student. The rehearsals are in preparation for the live audience recording on March 28. Williamson’s new album comes after the live recording from 2011’s “All Things.”

From Musoffee to full album James Spaite shares the meaning behind his new album BY ROSS NEDERHOFF STAFF WRITER

Musoffee is an opportunity for developing musicians to present their individual styles to the student body. For many artists, it is a start, one of the first on a list of many musical goals. Sophomore James Spaite has been working on his own set list since his Musoffee performance on Jan. 23. Spaite, a psychology major and music minor, sees music, the world and his place in it in very special ways. “I feel like music is something that I can’t not do … I honestly feel like it burns inside of me,” Spaite said. Drawing motivation from his father and further support from his grandmother, Spaite learned to play the piano and guitar at an early age. He explains that his

interests were somewhat natural having such a musically talented dad, but that they were ultimately “sealed” by the “warm and fond” memories he has of musical moments with his grandmother. Today, his interest has grown to become much more than that. Music is now “a part of [his] everyday” that he cannot imagine being without. Spaite claims to hear the musicality in every sound he encounters and wants to cultivate those sounds for his listeners. “One of my life goals is to ask people good questions through music,” Spaite said. “You can give someone an answer or tell someone something, but that is less valuable to them because they were just told it. So, asking people meaningful questions about different scenarios that have played out in my life is what I want to do because I feel that they

Graduate School of Theology

Master of Arts in Youth Ministry

are valuable.” Currently Spaite is working on a project in which he is able to ask those significant questions. His first full-length album, “A Woman Gave Me Music,” was inspired by his initial inspiration to pursue music — his grandmother. “Basically [the album] is a lot of lessons and things I have learned over the course of my life being compiled into an assortment of songs that go back to the same genre but all have their own flavor,” Spaite said. As to how the public can support him in the process, encouragement and funding are Spaite’s main forms of sustenance. “The economy of music is so large that I feel like it is hard to sift through it all to make yourself known,” he said. “So people just encouraging me through that and shar-

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES SPAITE Sophomore James Spaite will release his first full-length album, “A Woman Gave Me Music,” in April with fundraising from Indiegogo. Inspiration for his music stems from Spaite’s musically talented family. He performed at Musoffee on Jan. 23.

ing anything they enjoy with others is always helpful. Besides that, money is always cool.” “A Woman Gave Me Music” is set

to release in April. If you’d like to contribute to Spaite’s music project, head to his site, www.indiegogo.com.

Powerful. Flexible. Practical. Azusa Pacific’s biblically centered Master of Arts in Youth Ministry (MAYM) program prepares men and women for the specialized field of youth and family ministry.

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Other degree programs offered: D.Min. | M.Div. Pastoral Studies, M.A. | (Theological Studies), M.A. 14924

the point weekly | monday, march 23, 2014

6 | SPORTS

sports

UPCOMING EVENTS

NCCAA Champions

3/24: M. Tennis vs. Williams 2/27: W. Tennis vs. DePaul 2/28: Baseball vs. Azusa Pacific 2/29: Baseball vs. Azusa Pacific

PLNU picks for March Madness

Jake Roth Champion Pick: University of Louisville

Taylor Christopher Champion Pick: University of Virginia

“I don’t feel that good about this year, but I went with Louisville in the Midwest, which is a brutal bracket, but I think they’re one of the best teams in the country this year. They also have a lot of the same players from last year. They’re just dominating everyone right now. I think they also won their tournament conference games by an average of about 20 points or more too. I also picked them last year, but I am not feeling as confident about them this year because they lost their best player. Overall, I just don’t feel good about anything this year; it was really hard for me to predict any upsets, because there’s not really any dominant teams in the tournament.” Roth also has a ‘gutsy pick’ with University of New Mexico reaching the Elite 8.

“I picked Virginia because they have the best defense in the country and defense is something that is more consistent than offense, I also tend to like teams that play good defense. If I remember correctly the coach for them (Virginia) used to coach at Washington State and he got to them to the sweet 16, so if you can win at WSU you can win anywhere. This year though I feel pretty confident that for the most part everything will fall into place, but I am a little disappointed that I am not in any pool (involving prize money) for this bracket.” Some of Christophers’ upsets include: Harvard over Cincinnati, Oklahoma State over Arizona, Providence over UNC, UCONN over Villanova and Kentucky over Wichita State.

COURTESY OF PLNU SPORTS INFORMATION PLNU Men’s Basketball team poses just after scoring their 75-73 victory over Grace College, earning the NCCAA National Championship title. BY ABBY HAMBLIN STAFF WRITER

In its third and final year of the transition period into the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the men’s basketball team has chosen to make quite the entrance: by winning a national championship. “I think this tournament that we just won is a great springboard for next year for experience,” head coach Bill Carr said. “I think everybody in our program understands that we all have to get better to compete on the NCAA level and certainly on a regional and national level we should too. The game experience these guys got this week will really help us and make them even hungrier for next year.” The squad defeated Grace College in the National Christian College Athletic Association Division I title game on Saturday, March 22. The Sea Lions won the game – played at Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind. – with a score of 75-73. “Grace’s atmosphere was as intense as it gets and they definitely had a home court advantage,” said senior Taylor Wetherell. “At some points of the game we literally couldn’t hear each other call plays out at all because it was so loud. Toughest road win of the year by far and it was a great experience seeing us come together in order to pull off the victory.” The team defeated Union College, Southern Nazarene University and Grace College in their national championship run, ending the season with a .645 win

percentage overall. To qualify for the national tournament, PLNU defeated both Bethesda and Azusa Pacific in the NCCAA West Regional. “Five straight wins... I remember calling Marek (Klassen) after the regular season when we found out we were playing Bethesda… I told him we had to win,” Wetherell said. “From there we started to create a culture with the rest of the team that refused to lose. Every game we would go out and do whatever it took to win. That type of attitude is contagious and everyone bought in. We started playing with a fear of losing and really focused in and prepared well. The coaching staff really upped the intensity as well and it was a great team focus and effort.” Grace College lead for most of the first half until PLNU went on a 15-3 run heading into half time. PLNU maintained a consistent lead, even leading by 11 at one point in the second half, but the Lancers hung around and eventually trailed by 2 points with less than 7 seconds remaining and a chance to win the game. But the PLNU squad, true to its defense first philosophy under coach Carr, dug deep and kept Grace from scoring as the clock ticked down to zero. “I think everybody knows, who plays here, that we start with defense and we want to win on the defensive end,” Carr said. “After the game a few of them said it was appropriate that we get a stop to win the national championship. I think the past few games we started guarding like I

thought we could.” The team loses two seniors, Wetherell and AJ Ussery. The two contributed 21 points, 3 assists and 7 rebounds together in their final game. “AJ and I couldn’t ask for a better finish to our college careers. Few seniors exit with a win and even fewer leave with a championship win for their final game,” Wetherell said. “God really wrote this one up good for us. We both plan to continue playing at the next level but it’s hard to imagine a greater team and run we made at the end of this season. We are really just thankful that our teammates wanted the national championship as much as us because we couldn’t have done it without their best effort, and that’s what every single one of them gave.” In true March Madness style, a no. 4 seed and a no. 7 seed played for the title, and no. 4 PLNU came out on top. “It feels great to win our last five games on the way to a national championship,” said Junior Hayden Lescault, who contributed a teamhigh 14 points to the win. “At the start of the year, coach Carr told us that if we bought into this team and played for each other we would win a title together. No matter what level it’s on, there is no better feeling than winning a national championship and hanging a banner.”

Austin Challis Champion Pick: University of Kansas

Danny Barnts Champion Pick: University of Arizona

“It’s all really just a shot in the dark, although I think that Bill Self is a great tournament coach; this is his eleventh season with the team, I think. They’re a young team, but they look experienced; and especially if Joel Embiid makes it back for the second or third week of the tournament, we got a real chance. I was born in Kansas; my grandparents went there, also my aunts and uncles, so they’re my main team.” Challis’ Final Four teams include: Kansas, Michigan State, Arizona and Louisville.

“I think they (Arizona) have a decent chance given the region they’re at in their bracket. Shawn Miller is a fantastic coach. He gets his teams ready to play come tournament time. Although I truly feel less confident in my bracket this year because it’s almost like a parody out there in college basketball right now. And with so many teams moving to different conferences, I feel like it’s harder to judge the strength of conference.” Barnts‘ ‘gutsy’ picks include UCONN going to the elite 8 and Ohio State advancing to the sweet 16.

Author’s Pick Louis Schuler Champion Pick: University of Arizona Notable Upsets: Tennessee over UMASS, Kentucky over Wichita State and Memphis over Virginia.

monday, march 23, 2014 | the point weekly

SPORTS | 7

THIS WEEK IN THE OCEAN

SEASON SNAPSHOTS BY WILL FRYE COLUMNIST

PHOTO BY AMY NORDBERG PLNU Track & Field competed at home in Saturday’s meet.

The past few weeks have felt a lot like summer. We had pretty warm water temperatures, a lot of sun and some fun south swell in the water. On Friday afternoon a nice south swell snuck in undetected by many surfers leaving very uncrowded conditions and head high, long lines at Ab. I surfed with family all afternoon long in consistent, thick little waves with really fun sections. On Saturday the wind shut down most spots in the afternoon and Sunday conditions were cleaner (but the swell was considerably smaller). This week a few different swells will provide good opportunity at all the local spots. Monday and Tuesday swells will arrive from both the South and Northwest, with waves going slightly overhead in many spots. A few more reinforcing swells will keep things interesting through the weekend. Wednesday and Thurs-

day the winds are looking strong and onshore, but morning surf sessions should be fine. Beach breaks should be good this week with the good sized combo swells in the water. On Wednesday and Thursday last week the swell was down enough for some decent spearfishing. On Thursday I shot a 3 pound sand bass and Brett Wheeless shot some perch and a calico. The visibility was maybe 10 feet at best and the south swell that started moving in was beginning to stir the water up too much by the afternoon. Unfortunately, this week there will be too much swell and wind around for any good spearfishing. The water is pretty warm at around 63 degrees, so fishing could be pretty good. Watch out if you are wading around in the surf or playing at the beach-I saw a ton of stingrays in the shallows when I was spearfishing. Enjoy the warm water and sunny skies and have a great week in the ocean!

SEA LION SCORES

PHOTO BY AMY NORBERG Senior Hope Penner (left) and Freshman Regina von Koch celebrate after their victory over Hope International.

Men’s Basketball

Baseball

•Win 69-67 vs. Union

• Loss 6-9 vs. Chapman

•Win 68-54 vs. Southern

• Win 2-1 vs. Cal State Bernadido

Nazarene •Win 75-73 vs. Grace College

S C H O O L O F H E A LT H S C I E N C E S

Men’s Tennis • Win 8-1 vs. Hope International

Women’s Tennis

• Loss 2-7 vs. Amherst

• Win 9-0 vs. Hope International • Loss 4-5 vs. Westmont • Win 7-2 vs. Westmont

A D V A N C I N G

C A R E E R S

I N

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Occupational Therapy Doctorate Graduates holding a Baccalaureate degree or higher will be prepared to provide compassionate, creative, ethical, and evidence-based services in an increasingly diverse and technologically advanced world.

SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES

Marion, Indiana

Master of Science in Athletic Training Post-Professional Designed for students who are certified Athletic Trainers, the degree is a 33-hour, Post-Professional athletic training degree which provides graduate students with the knowledge and clinical education to enhance their practice as certified athletic trainers. Primarily delivered online, but with a single two week on-campus intensive instruction session in Marion, Indiana

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the point weekly | monday, march 23, 2014

8 | OPINION

opinion

Abby Hamblin // Editor-In-Chief Amy Williams // News Editor Kimberly Miller // Features Editor Tavis Robertson // Sports Editor Kathleen Rhine // A&E Editor

Guimel Sibingo // Opinion Editor Abbey Stewart // Copy Editor Lara Khodanian // Design Editor Matthew Linman // Assistant Design Editor Rachel Barr // Web Editor

The Point Weekly

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 gsibingo1992@pointloma.edu.

Poetry Corner The Border

The Place You Are Alone BY CHLOE SPARACINO CONTRIBUTOR

If I could fly into time I would take you to the Past and show you how much She loved you even though She broke up with you I would take you to Your future so you could See how little all of this Matters there but yet it means Everything right now, and Now is all you have, but Eventually you will see Him at his desk with Pictures of his kids, and It will be you, at the desk, In the pictures Now you are with me I am taking you to Your bedroom to show You that time you smoked

#LomaChatter

All that dope and you Thought you were alone I want you to know it Does not have to be Like this, not now, not Anymore. I want you to Look up and see yourself And see me too I would take you to Livermore, or Hawaii, or Barcelona, or Back in time to before-cancer to before-the-accident to before She was drunk or asleep all-the-time so you can hug She who pushed you out of Her so you can tell her You love her.

BY EDDIE MATTHEWS

Chloe Sparacino is the department assistant for Fermanian Business School. She likes to hiking, biking, riding horses and writing poetry.

In either direction.

Have something to say? Submit your random thoughts, funny comments, or opinions! Text your #LomaChatter to 619-630-0728

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR

The woman with her hands on the girl’s shoulders,

It is swoll with my soul

Marches her down the creases between cars; She quivers and complies, with a sign hung around her neck,

Those of us whose schedules are busy Thursday nights would really appreciate a movie in the Greek on any other night!!!

Which few read because they avert their eyes to stifle whatever emotion might arise;

Waking up at 7:30 does not “literally kill” you. You used that word incorrectly.

The woman’s features are stoic—brow straight, As she holds the cup for collection,

I was reading the book of Numbers today and realized I don’t have yours. #christianpickuplines

Hoping for relief,

Eddie Matthews is a senior writing major. He likes storytelling and hiking.

The 5 guys watching youtube videos in media services at 10:31 p.m. #prioritizationsuggestions

Send your letters to the editor, essays and opinions to Opinion Editor Guimel Sibingo at gsibingo1992@pointloma.edu

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