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STUDENT’S JOURNEY TO REUNITE HER FAMILY, P.5

The Point Weekly point loma nazarene university

monday, april 14, 2014

volume 42 | issue 21

PLNU has long history with Special Olympics

Nazarene manual clarified for faculty, staff in new Community Life Covenant BY AMY WILLIAMS STAFF WRITERS

PHOTO BY AMY WILLIAMS More than 800 people joined on the track for the 21st annual Special Olympics on April 12. Pictured is an athlete about to receive his award for the 50-meter run as members of the crowd cheer him on.

PHOTO BY AMY WILLIAMS Senior Ellen Martinez joins Special Olympics participants as they take a break from competition to work on craft projects. BY AMY WILLIAMS & BREANNA COUCH STAFF WRITERS

The track was filled with excitement as volunteers and athletes showed up to the 21st annual Special Olympics on April 12, hosted by the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences and the School of Education. For the past 20 years, PLNU has hosted the Special Olympics, an event where people with special needs from schools around San Diego are able to compete in events such as 50 meter run, standing long jump, wheelchair events, softball throw and the running

long jump. “There are Jesus moments and Jesus connections in such clear ways that can be seen before, during and after these events – that is why we do these events,” said Jim Johnson, a professor in the School of Education and Department of Psychology and creator of a disability awareness program on campus. Johnson was involved with Special Olympics in Northern California before coming to PLNU in 1991. Not wanting to part with his passion for special needs students, Johnson con-

tacted the Special Olympics in San Diego and become immediately immersed in the program. “I have spent my life working and supporting persons and families who must deal with disabilities,” Johnson said. There were an estimated 200 athletes and about 800 people on the field according to Alec Rogers, one of the two student leaders for the event. He has been volunteering for these events for 14 years. Students participated in roles such as being a “buddy” where they were paired with an athlete and accompanied them to their events or simply being a cheerleader, among other volunteer positions. “Last year I was nervous going in because I had never done anything like this,” said sophomore Sam Okhotin who was a buddy for the second year in a row. “This year I noticed that my perspective changed. First and foremost I was focused on making sure my buddy was having a good time, enjoying himself and was comfortable. I was also fortunate enough to have the same kid I had last year. It was nice to see how he grew up and improved over the course of the year.” After the athletes were done with each event, they were awarded medals based on their rank. Three members of the San Diego police met the athletes after the 50-meter race to take pictures. “One of the best parts of the day is at the end when there is a massive dance party and the athletes can truly out dance any one,” said Rogers.

For the first time, PLNU has established a Community Life Covenant that presents the university’s shared beliefs, corporate practices and defines expected Christ-like character for staff and faculty. “While we respect and welcome people from a variety of Christian traditions, it is our hope and expectation that all in our community will respect the theological commitments of the Wesleyan tradition and the Church of the Nazarene,” states the Community Life Covenant obtained by The Point Weekly. The covenant, according to Dean of the School of Theology and Christian Ministry Ron Benefiel, who chaired the committee which wrote the document, is a clarification of much of what is already outlined in the Church of the Nazarene manual, but is more specific to the university itself. “What we have written in this covenant is certainly consistent with the manual of the church of the Nazarene, it’s just more specific,” said Benefiel. “So it doesn’t cite everything that’s in the manual of the church of the Nazarene, it just makes a statement that is specific to ethical standards, beliefs, practices, that relate to Point Loma Nazarene University.”

Staff and faculty were sent the document with their new employment contracts. “Our contracts and handbooks that contain contractual elements tended to reference documents of the Church of the Nazarene that, on the whole, were written for a different purpose and much of it did not apply to our setting,” said Kerry Fulcher, provost and chief academic officer. “From an accreditation stand point, it is preferred to reference our own internal documents that we have control over rather than documents that are not our own.” Fulcher and Benefiel also mentioned that this document could be beneficial if a legal case was ever to arise regarding faculty conduct. “Any document that is referenced in contracts becomes a document with legal ramifications,” said Fulcher. “This is why the process also involved a review of the document by legal counsel.” Benefiel said PLNU is ahead of most of the other Nazarene colleges in establishing this type of document, but that they consulted faculty handbooks and similar documents by other denominational colleges. A committee established by President Bob Brower, made up of five faculty members and two staff mem SEE COVENANT PAGE 2

Caf Forum asks for student feedback BY AUTUMN SHULTZ STAFF WRITER

Members of PLNU’s cafeteria staff demonstrated their willingness to listen to and work with students’ opinions about the Caf, on a panel in the middle of the dinner hour on April 8. This forum was organized for students wishing to submit suggestions on how the Caf can improve the quality of its food, students’ experiences while eating and the overall ease with which students can maintain healthy diets. Throughout the forum, students were able to question members of the panel and provide their preferences for various questions from the Cafeteria staff. One panel member asked students if they believed food samples would help reduce the amount of food that is wasted each day. Although Sophomore Stephanie Rentería was unable to stay for the en-

tire forum, she felt that it provided a better opportunity for communication between staff members and students. She was excited about the possibility of breakfast more than once a day. “I love breakfast and think it’s one of the best mealtimes in the Caf,” said Rentería. “I’m excited, but I know some people who don’t want to go to the Caf because of that. I think the staff is putting in all the effort they can and showing they care, but students also need to put in that effort and go to forums. People get upset with the Caf but don’t try to notice that the Caf puts in effort to try and improve itself.” In order to submit their opinions, students were given a number to send text messages with the answer they preferred. The number of votes for each option, such as wheth SEE CAF FORUM PAGE 2

the point weekly | monday, april 14, 2014

2 | NEWS

Covenant FROM PAGE 1

bers whose names weren’t disclosed by Fulcher, started working on the document last fall and presented it to the Board of Trustees during their fall meeting to present to the faculty in the spring. Before the agreement was implemented, faculty members were able to give their feedback. This was especially relevant to the members of faculty who aren’t Nazarene. “The Church of the Nazarene is a young and small denomination that is in its third and fourth generation growing pains,” said history professor Rick Kennedy via email. Kennedy affiliates with the Presbyterian Church. “Faculty like me who are not Nazarene are sometimes adversely affected

Caf Forum FROM PAGE 1

er the Caf should provide more fruits and vegetables, was displayed on a projector screen that had been hung over the stage. Overall, students appeared to respond well to the opportunity to give their opinions. Although few students stood up to question the panel members, many of them sent questions in via text message or social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. One student requested that Huevos rancheros, a food commonly served in the Caf on Wednesday mornings, be provided more often. Another asked that napkin dispensers be made available to students sitting at

by squabbles within the denomination between its church leadership and our college leadership. There is a lot of ‘inside baseball’ as to whether we [PLNU] are Nazarene, Wesleyan and/ or Evangelical.” Some of the issues outlined in the covenant were how to handle interpersonal relationships, maturity and discretion, diversity, gender equity, health of mind and body and human sexuality. Under the “human sexuality” clause, it states, “consistent with the historic teaching of Christian scripture and tradition, we believe that God has provided the context for the full expression of sexual intimacy in the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman.” “The section we rewrote, which was also a section we gave a lot of time and attention to was the section of human sexuality,” Benefiel said. “And

that is, as everyone knows, one of the hot potato issues these days and so how we would talk about that in the document was really important. We got some really good feedback from the faculty and that then took us back to making some substantial changes from the first time.” Another change was the alcohol policy outlined in the “Health of Mind and Body” portion. According to the Nazarene manual, it is encouraged that “in light of the findings of medical science regarding the detrimental effect of both alcohol and tobacco to the body and mind, as a community of faith committed to the pursuit of a holy life, our position and practice is abstinence from all intoxicants.” The new agreement states that the university encourages its faculty and staff to “abstain from the use or possession of alcoholic beverages and to-

tables on the outside patio. In each instance, the head chef and other members of the panel responded by saying that they would be more than happy to look into and possibly implement the suggestions provided. This reflects the statement made on Sodexo’s website, which states that members of the staff are more than willing to listen to any complaints or suggestions students may have. “Members of the Food Service Management Team are always available during meals to help you,” the website states. “Get to know your Dining Room Managers and feel free to share your comments, suggestions or questions. We appreciate your feedback, and want to be a part of making your dining service what you want it to be.”

Throughout the forum, students appeared more than willing to give feedback on how their experiences in the Caf can be improved. At least 30 individuals responded to each successive question about Caf improvements. “The fact they had the forum shows some students are reaching out and some fill out comment cards,” said Rentería. “I have a friend who made a group on Facebook to get together and talk about what they didn’t like and talked to [Sodexo] about it, which helped a lot.”

bacco and the practice of gambling on the PLNU campus, its branch campuses, or at any activities sanctioned or sponsored by the university or where students are present.” It does not, however, mention total abstinence like the Nazarene Manual does. “The way to look at this is that we are an alcohol-free campus and we have a general commitment to model that position of abstinence especially when we’re in the presence of students,” said Benefiel. “But the administration isn’t going to be checking out peoples’ refrigerators. And there is certainly room for personal discretion on the matter.” The covenant is meant to be more descriptive than prescriptive, according to Benefiel. Robert Gailey, PLNU Business professor and ordained Nazarene Minister said that PLNU’s openness to hire non-

Nazarene faculty and staff enriches the PLNU community in ways that some other Christian schools who only hire people from within their own denominations don’t experience. “I hope PLNU students, faculty, and staff appreciate the diversity of churches and denominations represented in our community - for it does add a richness to our community,” Gailey said. “If providing a community life covenant helps non-Nazarenes in our midst better understand our corporate expectations of all representatives of PLNU, it also can provide a road-map for areas where the community welcomes their diverse and varied contributions to our community.”

POINT TV FILM FORUM PLNU’s Point TV will be hosting “Short Term” 12 director, Destin Daniel Cretton, at a film forum on April 14. Cretton will attend the screening and discuss the success of his film and what his journey as a filmmaker-- since graduating from PLNU--has been like.

WHEN: April 14 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. WHERE: Crill Auditorium

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monday, april 14,2014 | the point weekly

NEWS | 3

Students spit it

Community Classroom to continue next fall BY VANESSA DOTINGA STAFF WRITER

Students seeking a new learning environment will be pleased to know that Community Classroom will be returning in the fall. Community Classroom is a cross-cultural program located in City Heights where PLNU faculty teach classes at MidCity Church of the Nazarene. Students have the opportunity be involved anywhere from taking one class to being part of the full-immersion program. “Community Classroom offers a real opportunity to dig in and expand horizons as global Christians, to see issues studied on campus play out in the community,” said Director of Community Ministries Dana Hojsack. Every class incorporates three aspects to encourage community involvement: students read a “common book” that they all reflect on in class; community dinners are held once a month with ethnic food and local speakers and each class incorporates some type of community service. “I think the volunteer aspect is awesome,” said past Community Classroom student Jillian Heckman via email. “It really helps you to see the needs of the community and think beyond yourself. It makes you rethink your worldview, teaches you a lot about life and helps you build

amazing relationships.” Heckman took a Race and Ethnicity class at Community Classroom and appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the environment that hosts her tutoring ministry, Alima. She also enjoyed the alternate classroom setting. “We sat in a big circle on comfy couches and discussed different topics on culture, race, ethnicity, injustice, etc,” said Heckman. “It was a really personal and relaxed environment.” Heckman acknowledged that the commute was a drawback since her class time caused her to waste time and gas sitting in traffic. However, many students find the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences of the location. “Things can always feel like inconveniences, but in retrospect, anything that felt like an inconvenience was only me thinking of myself,” said senior Molly Bassett via email. “There are inconveniences every day, but that doesn’t make it a bad thing per se. It’s just part of life,.” Bassett participated in Community Classroom the only semester that the full immersion program was implemented. While she never wanted the program to be a “science experiment of multicultural engagement,” she recommends the program to anyone looking to experience life somewhere else with other people.

“You’re getting a world of experience and another aspect of life that you will always have with you,” said Bassett. For those unable to do a fullimmersion program, Community Classroom still provides convenient options, especially for commuters, nursing students and anyone who is unable to go abroad due to locked-in schedules on the main campus. All of the courses offered are taken only one day a week, except for Spanish 101, which takes place on two days. Hojsack compared Community Classroom with the Liberty Station campus courses and addressed their effect on Community Classroom involvement. “The school has been offering more opportunities, which disperses students across the programs,” said Hojsack. “This isn’t a bad thing, but it does lower numbers. We don’t offer priority registration, giftcards, or a shuttle service. What we do offer is a place where students can have local community involvement, teaching, and learning, and not just another location to host traditional classes.” The program will start its fourth year of providing students with the chance to “put feet to faith” in the fall. Five general education courses will be offered with space for up to 157 students. Interested students can contact Hojsack for more information.

PHOTO BY TAVIS ROBERTSON Junior David Liestman recites a poem at the Spit It event held on April 7. There were about 50 people at the event. The poetry ranged from topics on love to past experiences to allergies.

Paul Farmer talks global health BY OLIVIA STAFFORD STAFF WRITER

Brown Chapel was filled with people ready to engage in a conversation with medical anthropologist Paul Farmer who was interviewed by Dean Nelson, a journalism professor at PLNU on April 9. Farmer rarely speaks at events, but he flew directly from Siberia to discuss global healthcare systems with the San Diego community. Currently, Farmer is a professor at Harvard Medical School, a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an author of a series of books about global health problems. Students and faculty from PLNU, students from other universities and other members of San Diego community attended the

event. “Farmer’s presence on our campus raises our profile in the community,” said Robert Gailey, Director of the Center for International development and business professor, “but, more importantly, helps keep what is important and central to who we are as a community in front of us at a high level.” Farmer’s humble beginnings growing up with a large family in a tent, on a boat and in a bus cultivated a unique passion for working with others in poverty. He began his career by studying medical anthropology at Duke University and then moved on to Harvard Medical School. Farmer co-founded Partners in Health, a worldwide healthcare organization that provides first world healthcare to the world’s poorest

people, as defined by Farmer. This organization was started in Cange, Haiti but since has expanded internationally. “The fact that he is both a medical doctor and anthropologist means he is always looking at how health care is impacting people, particularly the most marginalized people,” said Gailey. The first segment of the evening was a talk given by Farmer in which he shared about his experiences in humanitarian work and activism. He also discussed the significance of accompaniment of the poor versus aid to the poor, which focuses on equality. “Accompaniment is over when the person being accompanied says it’s over because we are social as a species, we are wired for it,” said Farmer. Partners in Health was established

in order to encourage people to come alongside people struggling in poverty and care for them in some way. “I specifically enjoyed Dr. Farmer’s advocation for accompanying suffering individuals through their hardships instead of simply ‘aiding’ them – stressing the importance of being present in the moment,” says senior biochemistry major Marcus Anthony. Farmer emphasized that he geared his talk specifically toward university students. His biggest regret so far is not becoming involved in humanitarian efforts and activism earlier. The second segment of the evening, Farmer explained how he lives out liberation theology, which is essentially caring for the poor. He believes that poverty is both soluble and shrinkable, and through the

modern knowledge and experience that we didn’t have 50 years ago, we can attack problems. “If we can put a man on the moon, we can get clean water to Haiti,” Farmer said. “We need to be present to people facing poverty.” Throughout the evening, he reiterated that it is not up to one individual to do it. He emphasized the value of getting involved once problems are identified. “We are called to walk alongside all peoples and not wall ourselves off to the uncomfortable, such as poverty and despair,” said senior biology major Michal Hoenecke, “Dr. Farmer’s wisely-spoken words will carry me throughout my future career as a physician and life as a whole.”

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the point weekly | monday, april 14, 2014

4 | FEATURES

features

THINK ON THAT

“Coachella is an oasis for douchebags, trust fund babies and should be avoided at all costs.” – Marlow Stern of The Daily Beast

Senior Reflection Series

KIMBERLY AYERS

As a freshman, I very much so believed that God would develop my innermost character into an aesthetic, mystical, floating flower of enlightened maturity by 2014. I changed my major when a homeless man looked me straight in the eyes and

told me to, and would waft between classes in a white dress on a cloud of joy. I genuinely believed that feeling the nearness of God was the thin place between heaven and earth. Perhaps it was, and perhaps the journey since then that also included doubting His

ABIGAIL WULAH As I reflect on my journey here at Loma, I confess to you all that I have experienced from the depths of disparity to the peaks of joyfulness and all kinds of ups-and-downs in between. I have pulled maybe 1000 all-nighters, missed 4000 balanced meals and I am constantly amazed at my supposed good health. I have almost always had a leadership position in the Black Student Union, I have been on the ASB Board of Review, I maintain scholarship re-

quirements and I have been working throughout all of this. This year I pushed it to the limit by taking over Simply To Go. (I don’t have enough space to describe all I do, just know you’re welcome!) Finally, my major is biology - aside from class I have spent over 850 hours in lab hours — and to this day I am not the walking dead. With that being said, I believe I am in a position to offer a few nuggets of advice. Besides depending on God, this is my advice to help you

existence and paying heavy chapel fines because I was so repulsed by open expression of systemic hypocrisy, or walking through downtown in a tight little black dress, or hard conversations with professors and friends about what this little bubble

through college. 1. If your friends are draining you, drop them. The beauty of community is always emphasized here but no one discusses dealing with being in the wrong community. Yet this can happen. If this is you then start praying for community where you can be yourself and get out there so they can find you. You do not need drama making school more difficult. Treat yourself to good company or go without. 2. For those of you who are being worn ragged, by all means, I feel you. When frustration hits you so hard that you start to calculate how much money you could have made at McDonalds without the headache compared to the hard times and debt you’re accumulating, take a “praise break.” Give yourself five to 15 minutes to forget the world and cry/scream/breathe/ pray/etc to your most empowering praise music. Thank God for all the challenges on your plate you will grow from, and then get back to business. You will see the fruit of your labor eventually. 3. Make sure your advisor is one you can cry in front of and not feel like a dumbo afterward. Advisors are supposed to walk with you and root for you on your journey. If you are not comfortable enough to discuss your academic fears, get a new one. Period. 4. There are a lot of Lomans who feel they are on the outside looking in. Trust me. Speak up to different kinds of students about your feelings and experiences. You will find you are not alone. 5. You can have any career you want. Carve your own path, create it if you need to. And now you can never say I never gave you anything. I leave you with this last statement: if by your senior year you cannot look back in awe at how you’ve grown, build a time machine. Start over and do your undergrad right.

of entitlement really stood for, was just as much of a thin place as singing worship songs in the shower. This tension spurred personal growth, and sometimes that growth was exponential and sometimes it was stagnant. As an open nerd, I would sometimes soak in the words of wisdom bestowed by our general education professors and pull all-nighters writing (what I believed to be) inventive and highly creative research papers. Yet, other days I stayed in bed all day – all week - because I just simply didn’t care and my darling roommate would timidly asked if everything was okay because she was afraid of whatever psychological landmine might explode in front of her. I went from wafting flower to quasi-atheist cynic and am not exactly sure what the label is now: but I know that somewhere along the way I learned how to love. Maybe it was the laughs and burritos with good friends, and maybe it was the wars with the scale because of those burritos. But I learned how to actually let people in, and also how

to show myself a little kindness too. I learned to tell my story over coffee, and also learned that my story could change over and over and over again and each version is as true as the one before. I learned that you have to know the season of your soul – and sometimes the season is overflowing joy and sometimes it is a tranquil sense of being present. I learned that even discipleship ministries leaders forget to tip, and need to be extended grace because people are people. Mostly, I learned that on every pilgrimage you need a good band of traveling companions, and that this place has them everywhere. They become your sages and your enemies, your critiques and your greatest fans. They walk with you through all your seasons and when you really learn to see each other, you might even glimpse the face of God. So what’s it all mean? I couldn’t tell you. I am just as much of the hot mess that I was when I came here four years ago, but then again there are a few things different.

Interested in submitting a senior reflection? Contact Features Editor Kimberly Miller at kmiller0116@pointloma.edu

monday, april 14, 2014 | the point weekly

FEATURES | 5

Finding a home in America

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KATHLEEN BOLAMBA Junior Kathleen Bolamba met her grandmother Louise for the first time when she went on a LoveWorks trip to Congo in the summer of 2012. After many years of hard work, Bolamba’s family succeeded in obtaining a green card for Louise who came to America in February. Kathleen’s family is now reunited and her grandmother has visited her dorm room in Nease Hall.

A student’s journey in reuniting her family BY BRITTANY NAYLOR STAFF WRITER

San Diego International Airport’s gray tiles lay quiet except for an occasional pair of stray wheels that wound their way over the linoleum floor, clacking in their journey from carousel to pavement. Kathleen Bolamba, a junior applied health science major at PLNU, shifted in her seat, the sheer, purple fabric of her dress sliding across the black leather of the airport’s couches where she, her parents, sister, aunt and niece waited. Beside Kathleen’s mother lay a bouquet of flowers, the pinks, oranges and yellows blotching out the airport’s metallic monotony. Kathleen suggests a picture be taken to remember the moment. “No, wait until she gets here,” says Nelly, her mother. Nelly has waited for this moment since she left her home in Democratic Republic of Congo in 1987. For a year and a half, her family filled out forms, paid fees and managed affairs halfway across the world to make this moment possible. Nelly’s dream is to reunite with her own mother, Noljoka Louise Esambo, known simply as Louise, in America after being away from home for 27 years. On Feb. 25, 2014 Kathleen’s family welcomed Louise to San Diego after she made the flight from her home in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. Lubumbashi is the second largest city in the Dominican Republic of Congo, and Kathleen compares it to Los Angeles, while the country’s capital, Kinshasa, is like Congo’s New York City. Nelly left Congo when she was 21 to join her sister at the University of Laval in Quebec, Canada to

earn a degree in social work. There she met her husband Digbo and together they later moved to the U.S. where they obtained green cards and started a family. Though her sister had never met Louise before, Kathleen met her grandmother while on a LoveWorks trip to Congo in the summer of 2012. On down time, her uncle, who lived in Lubumbashi, would taxi Kathleen from her host house to his own to socialize with Louise. On the last day of her trip, Kathleen sat with her uncle, bonding over a breakfast of toast topped with strawberry jelly and salami, scrambled eggs and a cup of red tea while her grandmother sat in her favorite spot, a blue, plastic lawn chair out in the yard. As the family descended the stairs to leave the house, saying their goodbyes, Kathleen leaned over Louise to say her final farewell. Cupping her face with her left hand, Louise looked her granddaughter in the eye and said, “Thank you so much for coming, come again, and may God bless you on your trip back.” “She kept repeating ‘I love you’ and ‘God be with you’ and when I looked back, I saw one tear drop,” said Kathleen. Kathleen rushed back to her grandmother’s side and the two cried and hugged. “I need to go,” said Kathleen, letting go of her grandmother. “I’ll be back. We’ll see each other again. I love you.” As her uncle drove her back in his white, Toyota 4Runner, Kathleen’s last thought was “I don’t know the next time I’m going to be able to see her.” In the summer of 2011, the Bolamba family decided to start the application process to gain American citizenship, thinking that this would assure Louise the visa she needed to come to the U.S. Out of the family

of four, only Menza, Kathleen’s sister, was an American citizen as she had been born in San Diego. With application fees at $600 each, the family had to take out a loan to cover the costs. After a lengthy process of applying, fingerprints and interviews, Kathleen, Nelly and Digbo were sworn into citizenship in April of 2012, just in time for Kathleen to turn in her passport for LoveWorks where she met her grandmother for the first time. With their new citizenship, Nelly could now sponsor her mother to live in the U.S. as a permanent green card holder; the family began the process of application in August of 2012. After three rounds of applications, forms and fees, tracking down birth certificates in Kinshasa from San Diego, a process that lasted until November 2013, the family had only one more step to complete, another interview at the U.S. Embassy for Louise, which was scheduled for Jan. 15, 2014. This time, Louise passed and Nelly was told she would finally be able to make her long lasting goal a reality when on Feb. 7 her mother received a visa. The Bolamba family had to wait three years and apply for citizenship

themselves before they could fulfill a dream of bringing Louise to the U.S, but for other families, applying for legal citizenship or green cards can take even longer, sometimes even spanning decades. Family-sponsored visas are a tightly controlled commodity and their limits are calculated each fiscal year when the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services determines how many visas will be available for the next year. As of Sept. 31, 2013, in San Diego alone, 1,111 petitions were received by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for a family-sponsored visa. Out of the 1,111, only 371 petitions were approved while 45 were denied, and 2,470 were left pending. In all of the U.S., there are 885,935 petitions pending for this type of visa. Waiting for that green card, which could mean fulfilling a long awaited dream of reuniting with family, is going to be a long wait as the 850,000 plus petitions struggle their way through the swamp of bureaucracy. To work off her nerves, Kathleen paced between the couches where her family sat and the ever-shifting screens of the flight schedules, hoping at every pass to see that the notification saying her grandmother’s

flight had landed. Finally, the notification popped onto the screen, and the family bustled over to the base of the escalators. As more passengers descend ed with Louise absent among them, Nelly started her own pacing, hoping to catch a glimpse of her mother above the escalators. Then finally, they spotted Louise. “When I saw her on top [of the escalators] I thought, ‘I can’t believe this is happening,’” said Kathleen. “It was surreal.” After a year and a half of longawaited anticipation, Louise emerged from the elevator, where she had been taken down in her wheelchair. Her eye caught Kathleen and she exclaimed, “Dembo!” (Kathleen’s middle name and the name every first-born woman in Louise’s family carries in their title). The family descended – mother, daughter and granddaughter reunited – crying and hugging Louise, celebrating in the joy of unification. The family left the airport to head back home, where a feast of BBQ chicken, fufu (corn flour fried in oil) and white rice topped with pondu (cassava leaves compressed and cooked) and loso (oil with vegetables) awaited the weary traveler. Soon, however, Kathleen had to return to PLNU and leave her grandmother for a second time. “We were teaching her how to say ‘I love you’ in English, so when I left she said, ‘I love you’ with her little accent,” said Kathleen. “Are you coming back?” asked Louise. “Yes, I’ll be back.”

CULTURE CLASH CULTURE CLASH Hollywood and the trend of faith-based films BY ABBY HAMBLIN STAFF WRITER

It has been more than a decade since people of all faiths sat in movie theatres worldwide and witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in what Roger Ebert described as the most violent film he had ever seen: “The Passion of the Christ.” Yet he explained the importance of an idea being presented that tran-

scended cinematography, technique and performance. And so sets up the discussion of the risky task mainstream Christianity-related films have as they balance theology and cinematography. For example, David Ansen, a Newsweek film reviewer didn’t see “The Passion of the Christ” as important art as Ebert did. “The relentless gore is self-defeating,” he said. “Instead of being moved by Christ’s suffering or awed by his

sacrifice, I felt abused by a filmmaker intent on punishing an audience, for who knows what sins.” Scrutiny over Christian movies that hit the mainstream didn’t start with “The Passion of the Christ” and certainly didn’t end there; though it is the top-grossing faith-based film in history and set the stage for many other Christian films to have a chance to draw widespread interest beyond the Christian community in

the new millennium. The combination of improved filmmaking technology and revived trend of faith-based films has led to interesting discourse since “The Passion of the Christ” was produced, and the discussion seems to have hit a peak in 2014. “Son of God,” “Noah,” and “God’s Not Dead” have all been box office successes so far this year, and “Heaven is For Real” comes out this month.

Films such as “Left Behind” and “Exodus: Gods and Kings” are slated to come out later this year. With this being such a crucial moment in popular culture for faithbased films, The Point Weekly wanted to engage some local experts, find out what PLNU students think and dig a little deeper into a topic that is on the minds of many PLNU students.

REVIEW

‘Noah’ doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t BY ARTHUR SHINGLER STAFF WRITER

“Noah” is one of those films you just can’t argue with. Quadribrachial stone giants, endless black badlands — inhabited by what appear to be Hell’s Angels B.C. — and 300 cubits of wood, pitch and beasts-of-the-earth? I mean, come on! And who knew Noah was such a zealot? It is no secret that Darren Aronofsky’s latest picture is not about God, a name not spoken once in the movie and is not, for that matter, about the Bible. Actually, Aronofsky himself has declared “Noah” to be “the least biblical film ever made,” expressing pride in his translation of a religious fable into something more secular.

“Noah’s” world — a bleak, treeless thing of apparently endless desert — is inhabited by two groups: the corrupt descendants of Cain (see Genesis 4) who God plans to douse and those of Seth, Cain’s faithful brother, the last surviving members of whom compose Noah’s small family. With confident leads Emma Watson, Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Ray Winstone, Aronofsky pulls off a rich fantasy-realistic world. Despite these big names, however, the only exceptional performance is Anthony Hopkins’s minor role as an aloof and berry-craving Methuselah, Noah’s sage-like grandfather. Arinofsky’s epic is not all action, though. It is filled with brief and precious artistic interludes that complete his vision, the most prominent being

“Noah’s” ambitious centerpiece: an unexpected and breathtaking timelapse fever-dream of Earth’s creation from the big bang to human being. A large part of Noah’s artistic success, however, can be credited to masterful editing by Andrew Weisblum, who collaborated with Aronofsky on 2010’s “Black Swan,” but is also respected for editing films of Wes Anderson, namely “The Darjeeling Limited,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” and Moonrise Kingdom.” Weisblum manipulates the shots in such a way that the action is quick and the viewer is occasionally surprised by the swiftness Weisblum’s cuts create: a fine example is when Noah is taken down by a Watcher (quadribrachial stone giant). Rather than see Noah’s whole

body fall, as soon as he is struck Weisblum executes a quick-cut to the edgy black terrain where we see perhaps a second of Noah’s head, now horizontal, hitting the ground with an understated thud. This abridged motion turns what might be a typical plot point into something not only engaging to the eyes of the viewer, but a brief work of cinematic art. It’s moments like these that make “Noah” a cubit above the rest. So when you go to the theatre, don’t expect a spiritual experience, expect something loud, roller-coasterlike and, at times, blazingly still. If anything, Aronofky’s adaptation of the Great Flood is epic, and considering the film’s source material, epic is exactly what it should be.

The Trend grows

Highest grossing faith-based films of the new millinium The Passion of the Christ (2004) 370.8 million

The Nativity Story (2006) $37.6 million

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) $291.7 million

Courageous (2011) $34.5 million

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) $141.6 million

Fireproof (2008) $33.5 million

Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) $104.4 million

Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002) $25.6 million

Son of God (2014) $43.8 million

One Night with the King (2006) $13.4 million

PLNU weighs in

Disagreement can be a good thing BY RICK MONCAUSKAS FACULTY CONTRIBUTOR

“He (God) put the choice in your hands (Noah), because He wanted it there.” (Jennifer Connely, speaking to Noah, Russel Crowe in “Noah”.) I was asked to comment on the idea of adapting bible texts to the cinema. Out of the three recent films, Noah is the only movie I can speak about from experience. The response to Noah seems quite divided. In general, it seems that the more conservative/fundamentalist one is, the more one dislikes this film. Opinions seem to be “split along party lines.” I have a “Movie Group” that goes out every month to watch a new film. We watched “Noah” a couple of weeks ago and then we went to a restaurant to try to discuss it. No one really thought this was a great film. Opinions lined up rather starkly. Some said they “hated” the movie and others said (rather mildly) that it was “fine”. It was difficult to have a discussion when several people couldn’t distance themselves from their dislike of the film. The number one complaint: “this film is NOT faithful to the Bible.” This is a serious, but non-pious, film that tries to envision a problematic and very dramatic, written biblical text. This is NOT a parody or a comedy. In every interview I’ve heard with the filmmakers, they expressed devotion to taking the text seriously and not contradicting it.

I teach Cinema and Video Production and we have new students every semester who are learning and practicing the craft of “filmmaking” and video production. Being a maker of anything, including films, sets one up for criticism. It is very easy to sit back and say “I don’t like that.” The harsh critics ought to actually try making something. For example, the text says “Build yourself an ark…” and leaves much to the imagination of the reader. A good FILM ought not do that. It actually needs to SHOW how it might have been built. And, thus, you have a problem for the film that doesn’t exist for the written text. “How COULD four men (and their wives?) build a three story boat larger than a football field with primitive tools out of trees/ logs that may have weighed over a ton each, WHILE keeping food on the table? How are we going to SHOW that? Also in this text, “What ARE the Nephilim?” No one has any real idea. They are not human. These “gaps in the text” give the filmmakers a legitimate place to speculate. They MUST. To their credit they did look at ancient rabbinic interpretations. Why is there a controversy over this film? The media love a fight. Some in the Christian community are willing to give it to them. To some, the film isn’t poor movie making. It’s transgression. I think I can make a good argument that “Noah” doesn’t warp the text. (At least no more than any other interpretation does.) But, this is NOT

the same story you were told as a child. Noah being drunk, naked and cursing his son were, I’ll wager, not what you were taught in Sunday School. Surprise is one tool of filmmakers for keeping the audience engaged. If the story can vary from the one you expect, but essentially stay true to the text, that’s terrific for them. And here is where the filmmakers have a real problem. They have violated the expectations of those for whom novelty and reinterpretation is sin, especially from that den of sin and iniquity called Hollywood. To them, multiple levels or varieties of interpretations of scripture are ALL heretical (think Marcion & Arius). Rather than seeing this as an opportunity to rethink the text, to reimagine what it might mean and possibly correct some misunderstandings of this difficult text, the novelty is itself an obstacle and sinful. To paraphrase: “We know the truth. The bible is simple and easy to understand. This movie has perverted it.” I think what the movie has actually shown is that the text has more possibilities and options for understanding in it than I was taught or was aware of. I want Hollywood to make more non-pious biblical films. Disagreement can be a good thing. We must encourage that. Rick Moncauskas is a lecturer in Cinema and Video Production and the TV Station Manager for PLNU. He also has a a master of divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary.

ALUMNI CONTRIBUTOR

God is hot right now, so hot right now. Overtly God-based films are making money and so the film community is cashing in. I am a Christfollower and also a devout movie lover/maker. These two aspects of my soul are having quite the battle over whether I love or hate this trend. I love it. I love when God gets good press. The Pope is killing it right now (sad that what he is doing is so “revolutionary.” Yes, I’m calling you out pastors of the world, get on it.) Great that The Bible on HBO drew such a large audience and made so much money. Fantastic that Noah, The Son of God, and God is Not Dead are all high on the box office charts right now. At the time of publishing, they made up 3 of the top 18 movies of 2014, with a cumulative gross of over $163 million. I hate it. God in the news allows more opportunities for Christians to reveal our ignorance and allows for petty backbiting and theological differences to hit the mainstream. We look stupid. Humans say stupid things, and humans that are Christians are no exception. Christians just always seem to say those things so loudly. Christians were super quick to jump down the throat of Darren Aronofsky for a couple of one-liners he had about the film. First of all, have you seen Aronofsky’s body of work? Holy cow; it is so gnarly. Careful, there are definitely images that you

do not need in your head. If you were aware of how he sees the world, you would have never, ever put literal biblical expectations on his telling of the story of Noah. But that is not how we work, unfortunately. Instead of asking questions and seeing God in the art, it is easier to tear him down for not matching our expectations. Good art asks tough questions; commercials sell products. “Christian art” (I grimace even to write the phrase) fails to be art when it becomes a commercial, even if it is for God, instead of living in the tensions of being human. Even those closest to Jesus experienced the depths of human pain and suffering. Even Jesus, God incarnate, suffered the depths of betrayal and physical pain. We serve a God who suffers with us, so why does all our art and music remain on what appears to be the surface of these experiences? Two years ago, I was super excited when I heard that Darren Aronofsky was working on Noah. I was thrilled to see where such an incredible imagination would take the story. And in case you haven’t read the Bible lately, news flash: there are some super weird stories in there. The story of Noah is nuts! It includes God giving illogical commands, death, drunkenness, nudity and shame. The Bible tells of men swallowed by giant fish, animals talking, polygamy blessed by God and people being brought back from the dead. There are so many wild and uncomfortable stories in the Bible; how can we be upset at an artist for expanding one of those accounts visually? (Just to give you a heads up,

Lynsey Jilbert, Sophomore, Music Ministry “I like that they’re doing it but I think they should be more accurate if they, can. They’re not always Christian so they don’t know exactly what is accurate.”

Kendall Perlwitz, Freshman, Nursing “It’s fine. They’re trying something they haven’t worked in in a while. And there might be Biblical inaccuracies that cause debate in the Christian community. But they’re still taking a fantastic story and making it into an interesting movie. Maybe eventually they’ll figure out how to reach both sides well.”

Ve r o n i ca S a n to r o,

God the Movie Star #loveit #hateit BY JARED CALLAHAN

Should Hollywood continue to explore the Bible and faith-based issues or stay out of it?

don’t judge the upcoming film Exodus: Gods and Kings by Ridley Scott, featuring Christian Bale, too literally. You will be let down for sure.) The questions then come back to you: • Are you using the Scriptures and God-based media as a weapon or debate point? • Where does the majority of your worldview and biblical knowledge come from? • Do you have deeper relationships with fictional characters than you do with real people? We’re built for interaction, not movie watching. Allow film and media to expand your understanding of God and strengthen your relationships. A wise man in our church once told me, “There is a little bit of Jesus in everyone, and our job is to love it out of them, even before they might see it in themselves.” If films, whether overtly religious or not, can teach us more about the pieces of God that are already alive and at work in us, amen. They might even provide a mirror to see, for the first time, those elements of God at work. Jared Callahan (‘05 Media Communication; ‘10 Spiritual Formation MA from NNU). Jared has served for the last decade on pastoral staff at San Diego First Church of the Nazarene. He has also been a part of a number of award winning film projects and is currently editing the feature documentary JANEY MAKES A PLAY. Jared blogs regularly with his wife Sophie (’10) at www.asacredimagination.com

S e n i o r, B i o C h e m i st r y “I think it is great the Hollywood is branching out into Christian themes. It’s cool that it introduces the stories to people who might not know them.”

Caleb Daniels, Sophomore, Media Communications and Biblical Studies “All movies are interpretations and since we can’t literally put the Bible verses on screen and call it film, any movie based on a Biblical passage will have some liberties taken with it. Especially with a story like the Noah story, which, if you think about it, is pretty boring. We can’t just have him onscreen building an ark for hundreds of years, so the filmmakers added stuff. We just have to hope that whoever adds and interprets things for Biblical movies has good theology”

the point weekly | monday, april 14, 2014

8 | FEATURES

Leading freshman small groups

PHOTO BY KIMBERLY MILLER Small group leaders (from left) Hannah Andrade, Tierra Gindt, Josh Meersman, Malory Campbell, Dave Salazan, Amy Williams and Glen Allen meet weekly with Professor Kendra Oaks-Mueller to become equipped in facilitating small groups.

BY ALEXANDRA TAYLOR STAFF WRITER

Each semester about 30 upperclassmen have an opportunity to help freshmen acclimate to the university experience by joining the Psychology 341 Group Counseling class. This class allows students to facilitate small group discussion meetings among freshman enrolled in the psychology 101 course. The Group Counseling course is a unique experience that many feel enriches the psychology department at PLNU. “No other university has a program like this,” said Daniel Jenkins, professor of psychology. “The goal of having small groups is to create a community of love where people can be open and honest and develop interpersonal relationships. We want to help incoming freshmen feel accepted at the university.” While other local universities such

as San Diego State and the University of San Diego do offer group psychology as a course study, no other school in the area offers a course that deliberately allows upperclassmen and underclassmen to interact in a support group setting. Nor does any other campus in San Diego offer a First Year Experience (FYE) as part of the curriculum for freshmen to adjust to the challenges of university life. At PLNU, students enrolled in Group Counseling become a part of two small groups—as leader among freshman students and as participant under a professor. Twice a week group leaders meet to share personal stories and discuss a variety of topics together, including the status of their group or some difficulties they have encountered with their small group. “The students are supervised and they get to participate with a licensed clinical psychologist,” said Jenkins regarding the small group leaders. “They get to experience being a group leader but also a member of a group

CHILLIN’

with someone who has experience in the field.” According to the PLNU’s catalogue, the class objective is: “A group method experience which introduces theories used to modify, ameliorate, or change personal behavior. Each student is required to lead discussions with a group of up to ten freshmen students in order to discuss and explore various topics pertaining but not limited to social, mental and spiritual development as they transition to college.” Students interested in becoming a leader must have a minimum 2.5 GPA, fill out a form and formally apply. All majors are welcome and students have a choice between making the class one to three elective units to fit their own schedule. While some students have had excellent experiences in small group courses, others believe the program could be improved. “So many people do it for units and are not really into it and then

they carry that attitude to other freshman,” said Hannah Andrade, a junior communications and writing major and current small group leader. “I had a great small group, but my roommates hated their small group; they said it was awful and awkward and couldn’t talk to anyone. I thought that if I could make small groups more fun I could make freshmen’s lives more fun too.” Student leaders are taught by their professors how to create a safe environment for others. Every member of the group must sign a contract obliging them not to share personal information with others outside the group, unless that information poses a threat to themselves or others. This is the only case in which a student leader must inform their supervising professor. Nervousness is a common feeling before the first couple meetings. “I think every small group leader fears rejection at first,” said Jeremy Arruda, junior psychology major and former small group leader. “Like how will the students be? Will they be open and willing to participate? But I had the best small group ever. I wouldn’t be where I am today, if they had not been so open, friendly, and honest with one another and me.” Group leaders are given a budget every semester so they can treat their group to an activity. Some leaders have pizza parties or bonfires. Arruda did several activities including a lantern ceremony. By participating in the Group Counseling class there is much to be gained besides a mark on a transcript. “This isn’t just a leadership position for you; it’s an opportunity to learn from others and allow them to invest in you as well,” said Jenkins. “And being able watch as they grow is super rewarding in itself.”

STUDY ABROAD PHOTO OF THE WEEK

I N CHILE

“My time here in Chile has been actionpacked since day one. I have already seen and learned so much! My host family is so loving and helpful and both of my host parents have taught me so much.”

-Sydney Lara

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SYDNEY LARA Junior psychology major Sydney Lara is studying in Valparaiso, Chile through a program called Veritas. She is pictured here in Torres del Paine National Park in Southern Chile during a five-day trek through the Valle del Frances with a 360 degree view of snow-covered mountains, waterfalls, rivers and a lake.

GREY AREA the black the white and the in between.

Only a few weeks of the semester are left and many students are gearing up for summer. Whether traveling the globe, going home to catch up on favorite TV shows or scoring a job, keeping busy and having fun is a definite must. What will you be doing over the summer? “I am for sure doing summer school here and I’ll be taking Problem Solving and Short Story Literature. I was also offered two internships, which is cool, so I’m thinking about that. Backpacking too, in Sequoia National Park. That should be fun.” - Matt Linman, Sophomore “I’m taking junior high kids to camp through Wyldlife at a place called Oakbridge. I’ll also be working at a water park and a children’s hospital in Sacramento.” - Megan Sommers, Freshman “I’ll be working at Starbucks here in San Diego. When not working I want to do a Disneyland trip somewhere in there.” - Cera Diaz, Junior “I will be going on a backpacking adventure in Southeast Asia. Me and my three other girlfriends will fly into Cambodia, head over to Thailand and then end in the Philippines. I am extremely nervous for the language barrier and local transportation but excited to experience a new culture and see more of the world.” - Jenae Loofbourrow, Junior

“I’m hoping to be on the summer ministry team for Point Loma or intern with my worship pastor back home. If I got on the summer ministry team I would be doing mostly worship for camps here and around California.” - Chris MaGill, Junior

“My most ideal summer plan would be getting accepted to the Dreamworks Animation Studios internship in Los Angeles. If that doesn’t pan out, I’ll be headed to my hometown, San Clemente, to work back at my restaurant. And I’ll plan on taking piano lessons in my free time!” - Amy Nordberg, Junior

Compiled by Kimberly MIller

monday, april 14, 2014 | the point weekly

A&E | 9

a&e

PLAN YOUR WEEK

Record grazing at Cow Records BY NICK DE HAVEN STAFF WRITER

It’s 6 p.m. and all is quiet in Cow Records. This is a rare moment for the veteran record shop pinched in between Cheswick’s West & Gallagher’s, two bars on Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach. A middle-aged man is seated in the darkest corner of the store, filtering through records on a tattered standalone shelf. Above him, a sign that reads “.99 cent records, moo.” Three more potential customers peruse the store’s contents, grazing over vinyl, CDs, DVDs, tapes and different entertainment mediums that are trying to find, not only a home, but relevant places in today’s digital society. The three customers eventually leave as a group, unimpressed or uninspired by their findings. The middleaged man, however, continues to add to a heaping pile he has formed in front of his lap.

“I have 30 records here,” exclaimed the man as he brought the stack of records to the counter at the front of the store, “and I have another 35 in the back.” In many ways this expresses what has kept record stores alive and not just surviving: a group of dedicated and enthusiastic clientele. Sam Williams is working the store alone, as most Cow employees do on their working days. The store is suddenly filled with clicking from the cash register. Click, click, “one,” click, click, “two,” click, click, “three.” Williams, a new employee, has to punch “98 cents” into the archaic register 65 times, keeping track aloud. Click, click, a sigh of relief, “sixty five.” The total lands around $67 after tax. On the day, Williams has now sold 40 new LPs, 20 CDs and about 65 used LP records. It’s now 6:10 p.m., only two hours and 50 minutes left to go.

Theatre review: “See How They Run” BY GUIMEL SIBINGO STAFF WRITER

It was the last night of PLNU’s rendition of “See How They Run,” a British farce by Philip King. Salomon Theatre teemed with excitement Saturday night at 7 p.m. as about 60 people of all ages came in to see the comedy, directed by professor of communication, Ronda Winderl. Music from the 1940’s played in the background, befitting of the 1940’s English setting of the play. From the moment the lights dimmed and Ida, the Cockney maid — played by freshman Katie Emma Filby — came on the stage, the audience was in for an eventful night full of laughter. The acting of most of the performers on stage was of a good and satisfactory nature. Jack French, who played the Corporal Clive Winton, stole the show followed closely by Samantha Peterson (Penelope Toop) and Alyssa Salter (Miss Skillon). Katie Emma Filby’s rendition of Ida was excellent, tying all the performances together. Although the British accents were not always on par, one quickly let that slide due to the engaging script, engaging acting and the great directing. The dedication and commitment the actors gave to each of their characters was superb. The most excellent aspect of the play was the blocking — a testament to Winderl’s impeccable directing. Actors fell to the ground and into other character’s arms, jumped over couches, and ran in and out of doors and through the stage. Each physical interaction sequence was well-choreographed and performed giving a sense of seamlessness and ease. The movements around the stage felt natural, with excellent transitions. The quaint and warm set, depicting a traditional English home, featured

Williams admits that he doesn’t know why the store doesn’t close sooner. It’s only 7 p.m., two hours to go, but Williams is convinced he won’t make another sale tonight. There is some work to be done, however, Williams retreats toward the wall of used vinyl and organizes records from Timbuck3, Time Peace and The Fixx. He picks up a 12-inch vinyl copy of Taylor Swift’s “Red” and laughs to himself. “It’s not like Guitar Center; there is no need to impress anybody,” Williams explains as to why he loves record stores. “You don’t need to pick up a Radiohead album and pretend to

look at it to look hip.” According to a Slate article in January, U.S. record sales in 2013 were up 32 percent from 2012 sales. “Vinyl is definitely making a comeback,” Williams said. “I’m not sure if it’s a lasting one. We do pretty well ... what keeps us afloat is reputation.” The clock hands finally reach 9 p.m. Williams brings in the eight-foot, crudely painted wooden sign leaning on the outside wall and shuts the door on the way back in. He prints the final tally from the register. Despite the slow night, Cow Records does indeed appear to be doing just fine. The receipt shows that Cow Records has sold enough merchandise to equal 40 new LPs, 20 CDs, and about 65 used LP records. Record Store Day is on April 19 this year and is an important holiday for record shops throughout the country. Stores like Cows and M-Theory in Mission Hills will most likely have multiple employees work their shops.

Pointless Party

Rick Tyner — general manager of MTheory who claims to know 60 percent of his customers by first name — says that the holiday helps immensely. “There would be a lot of stores closed if it weren’t for Record Store Day,” Tyner said. Record Store Day was established in 2007 to celebrate independent record stores throughout the U.S. and the world . Michael Kurtz, one of the creators, discusses the mission for the music holiday. “What we do is create art and commerce,” Kurtz said. “We put value on quality and we put a lot of love into what we do. If you are interested in those things, and you are interested in music, eventually you will most likely become a part of the record store community and will join the Record Store Day celebration.” To celebrate Record Store Day in San Diego, visit Cow Records or M-Theory on Saturday, April 19.

Students on the Radar

Lucas Riley Solo Art Show April 21-24 | Keller Gallery | Reception April 22, 5-7 p.m. PHOTO BY GUIMEL SIBINGO

doors on the right and left sides, a fireplace on the left, a couch, flight of stairs and much more. The costumes, designed by Valerie Henderson, were befitting of the time period and suited each character. Henderson employed bright colors and visually stimulating clothing, except for the vicar’s suits, which had to be exclusively black. The homey lighting, designed by Luke Olson, also gave a feeling that there was actually an outdoors with the veranda lights. “See How They Run” is a play about misidentifications, folly and silly mistakes. Although it was set more than 70 years ago, the way the two-hour play lampooned human beings’ mistakes and misadventures invited the audience to laugh at the silly nature of everyday life. It also invited some interesting commentary on religion and the relationship between war, entertainment and the faithful. The sheer amount of physical comedy incited applause, shouts and laughter from the audience members after each act. The combination of witty comments, physical comedy and good acting made for a delightful experience.

Now: Art Education major with concentration in visual arts and focus in photography Later: Ultimate goal is to work in the automotive industry designing cars What is it: “‘Cutaneous Membranes’ is all about the protective skins we have, yet they are not impermeable.” The theme is also about seeing through people’s transparent fronts to their complicated lives. How does your project appeal to the not-so-artistic students? “My aim is so it can be appreciated by everyone,” Riley said. “It deals with universal truths like the search for acceptance and the loneliness we can sometimes be victims of. At the very least, I hope people think it looks really cool.” PHOTO BY KATHLEEN RHINE Senior AJ Wolf sings with Pointless, PLNU’s all-male a cappella group, during the show last Wednesday, April 9. Crill Performance Hall was filled with about 150 people, including a front row of Pointless members of yore. The superhero-themed outfits produced many a laugh in the audience members. The impressive range of songs included everything from Macklemore to Bon Iver.

Little did we know: Riley received a ticket from the San Diego Harbor Police in the making of his artwork. It will be posted at the show.

the point weekly | monday, april 14, 2014

10 | SPORTS

sports

UPCOMING EVENTS

4/14: W. Tennis @ Hawaii Pacific 4/17: Baseball @ California Baptist 4/18: M. Tennis @ Hawaii Pacific, Baseball @ California Baptist (DH) 4/19: Baseball @ California Baptist

PLNU men formed team, ran at meet

PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDAN READER The team, Q-unit-versity, a name borrowed from the unit in Wiley in which most of the team members live, poses after the run in their impromptu uniform, composed of PLNU soccer practice uniforms.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDAN READER Tyler Wilson and Paul Malherbe celebrate after placing 3rd in the relay race. BY TAVIS ROBERTSON STAFF WRITER

On a Saturday morning in late March, PLNU’s women’s track and field team held an invitational that brought track teams from all over Southern California together to compete. But while teams from the various schools warmed up, a group of four male PLNU students unaffiliated

with any school team were also getting ready to run unattached in the meet. The four junior students — Tyler Wilson, Paul Malherbe, Jordan Reader and Matt Steinhaus — were preparing to run unattatched in the men’s relay race, one of the final events at the meet. The idea to run originally came from Wilson, a former runner for PLNU’s recently cut men’s track and field program.

“It was weird because I just asked [Malherbe] one night and his first reaction was ‘no way’,” said Wilson. “Then he thought about it more and decided he was on board.” The two then enlisted Reader, a former high school runner, and Steinhaus, one of Malherbe’s teammates from the PLNU men’s soccer team, and petitioned the women’s track and field coach Jerry Arvin.

Running unattached — something that happens when a group of runners unaffiliated with a collegiate track team requests and is allowed to run in a meet —is not an uncommon occurrence, so when the four PLNU students asked to run in the meet, they were allowed, Arvin said via email. But of the four men, only two had ever actually competed in a meet; the other two, while both athletes themselves, were completely unsure of what to expect. “I’ve never run in a race before,” said Malherbe. “[Wilson] was on the team before and [Reader] at least ran in high school, but [Stienhaus] and I knew nothing. We’re both on the soccer team, so we’re both decently fit, but not really used to that world.” And, of course, chance decided Malherbe was to begin the race. “We picked our order by rockpaper-scissors and I ended up having to go first,” said Malherbe. “So, of course, I was really nervous at first. Putting strategy aside, the most technical part of a relay is the first leg; the start is crucial because without a strong start, the entire relay team has to play catch-up which makes performing their best difficult, according to Reader. “We were waiting for the race to start and all the other teams were really tense, but we were just laughing and joking around,” said Steinhaus. But just before the race began, Malherbe said he was getting nervous. “I ran way too hard in the beginning, because I wasn’t really sure how to pace myself,” said Malherbe. “So I just started sprinting as hard as I could. And I think I was in first for almost 200 yards —almost half the lap. But then on the second curve I just started slowing down and then I got passed by three guys.” Malherbe finished his section of the race in fourth out of the five teams, handing the baton off to Reader.

Reader kept his place in the run and handed it off to Steinhaus, who passed another school’s runner. “I caught the guy going into the second turn and I thought I had gone way to hard,” said Steinhaus. “But going around the turn he kept going slower and I decided to just go for it. ” Steinhaus then handed off to Wilson, who held his position, finishing in third place. The team, celebrating their success, took a victory lap with full sized flags, two including ones from South Africa and Brazil. “I ended up warming up for fifteen minutes, then ran for one minute and then it was all over,” said Malherbe. “Everyone ran, then we were done and we just started celebrating. I ran for a combined one minute and celebrated for thirty.” And while the group didn’t expect to do as well as they did, Arvin said the experience was both surprising and enjoyable. “I was excited to see them compete again as I’ve missed seeing the young men on a daily basis,” said Arvin. “Sometimes your best race is when you haven’t been trying or training for it because you are not sore. They did not know what to expect except to run hard, which is what they did, so I was pleasantly surprised that they did that well and competed against other teams.” “It was a lot of fun, but what made it really great was the fact that we had a ton of friends and support there,” said Steinhaus. “They were all yelling and cheering for us and one even took a video. I was just a lot of fun and that made it so much more special in the end.”

Q&A with All-American Jessic Escorza

BY LOUIS SCHULER STAFF WRITER

The Point Weekly: What were some of the major highlights of the season for you as a player? Jessica Escorza: “I would say winning at homecoming was a big highlight, which was at the beginning

of the season. Because that was one of our first games so it’s always good to win something like that and have the school support there. Then coming back from my injury was a huge highlight for me because I was out for 10 games, which was really rough. So coming back from that, and then going on a huge winning streak and beating Azusa twice, which put us in a good position to get to the NCCAA playoffs. We unfortunately didn’t win (in the playoffs), but I think us making it that far after thinking we wouldn’t get to that point was great for us.” PW: Which leads into the next question; you were able to come back and average about 20 points per game after your injury, which led the team. How hard was it mentally after getting back on the court and finding your game? JE: “It was very hard, the first game I was cleared to play was at Fresno (Pacific) and before I talked to my coaches who were planning on

easing me back into playing. So I was taping my knee, I wasn’t playing with a brace because you can’t really move as well when you have it on; I wasn’t completely used to the tape job yet either, but I think I ended up scoring 11 points, which was completely shocking to me because I didn’t think I could come back and even score; I just wanted to get back to playing with the girls and be on the court. But mentally, it was actually easier than I thought it was going to be and I think that was because I listened so well to the trainers and I rehabbed very strong. So that made coming back and playing that much easier and made it more comfortable knowing that my knee was good to go.” PW: Going into this season, did you have any goals in mind to get the NCCAA All-American award in particular? JE: “No I didn’t actually, I didn’t even know I got the award until my dad texted me and said, ‘Hey congrats

on getting the award on the website!’ I honestly had no idea; so I was just happy to even make the team, because I was told that I didn’t make the PacWest first team due to missing the first 10 games of the season. So I was just happy to hear that I made it, because I was pretty bummed before after losing in the playoffs. And honestly it has been making me work even harder now in the off-season and in the summer. PW: After getting this achievement, would you say it felt like a good way to end the season for you, or was it almost bittersweet after losing to Azusa in the playoffs? JE: I would say it was bittersweet; it’s always tough losing to a team that you’ve already beaten twice and then losing to them in the playoffs after knowing that you should’ve beat them. We were 2 and 0 against them all season. Although I think what hurt the most is that we’re losing 7 seniors, I am going to be the only one returning,

so it’s going to look a lot different. But that also has put me into a leadership position, which has made me work that much harder because I know that I am going to be the one the younger girls are going to turn to—it’s exciting, but I am pretty nervous at the same time. PW: What aspects of your game are you looking to improve on or keep going into next season? JE: “Keeping my (scoring) average would be a big thing and I want to personally improve my ball handling so that’s something I need to work on a lot in the off-season. But overall ,just working on everything from my shooting, to my dribbling, to defense, to getting stronger in the weight room, I just want to improve every part of my game. And also that means doing even more than I should be to make sure my knees stay strong so I won’t go through another injury again.”

monday, april 14, 2014 | the point weekly

SPORTS | 11

THIS WEEK IN THE OCEAN BY WILL FRYE COLUMNIST

On Monday, the surf was amazing at ab. It wasn’t huge — maybe only slightly overhead — but it was some of the tastiest looking conditions I have seen in my time here at PLNU. I went out at noon and it was completely glassy and sunny. There were some good southwest swells in the water and it was breaking clean from the far reef and pretty much connecting all the way to subs. The waves were powerful with a lot of sections to tear up and there were even some legitimate barrel sections, which I have never seen on a groundswell here. It must have been a combination of the swell direction, the tides, and the calm winds, but the conditions were truly epic out there. Tuesday was pretty good as well and less crowded, but the rest of the week was marginal. We are seeing some summer weather with the overcast skies that get blown off in the afternoon and pretty minimal swell in general. This week there will be some

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

windswell that might be decent sized on Wednesday and possibly some groundswell over the weekend. Other than that, there is a mix of small south and north swells in the water that will make for smaller surf in general. The cliffs won’t surf well this week with the small surf and generally higher tides, but some of the other reefs and beach breaks might be fun. On Friday and Saturday there were definitely some windows that could have worked for spear fishing. I surfed the cliffs on Friday afternoon and there were small waves and glassy conditions and I could see the bottom pretty much the whole time. I even saw some garibaldi swimming around underneath me. I would really like to get out and fish soon, but I haven’t had the opportunity yet. There should be a good bite on halibut and bay bass right now. If you do go fishing, email me a report so we can put it in the paper. Have a great week in the ocean and a happy Easter! PHOTO BY AMY NORDBERG PLNU women’s tennis scored two upsets this week against #17 UC San Diego and #4 Vanguard.

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

SEA LION SCORES Baseball

Men’s Tennis:

• 4/11 Win 3-1, Loss 4-7 vs.

• 4/8 Win 6-3 vs. UCSD

Fresno Pacific

• 4/10 Loss 1-8 vs. Vanguard

• 4/12 Loss 3-4, Loss 0-4 vs. • 4/12 Loss 1-8 vs. ClaremontFresno Pacific

Mudd-Scripps

Women’s Tennis: • 4/9 Win 6-3 vs. UCSD • 4/10 Win 7-2 vs. Vanguard

Golf • 4/7 6th @ Sonoma State Tournament

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the point weekly | monday, april 14, 2014

12 | 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.

For the love of yoga pants

BY KAYLIE PULLIN JUNIOR CONTRIBUTOR

Since for some reason so many people at this university seem to have an issue with the popular choice of yoga pants as pants, I feel the need to

take this opportunity to educate all of those particular complainers on something called “I wear what I want.” First and foremost, most females (and hey, some males) wear yoga pants because yoga pants are comfortable. Believe it or not, we do not dress to

please the masses (i.e., those who complain about what other people wear). Why would we choose to wear constricting, stiff denim jeans when we could slip on a pair of soft, stretchy goodness? Why would we bother with shaving our legs (because if we stopped doing that then people would complain about that too) just to wear a dress, when we could simply throw on a pair of leggings that are not only blissfully comfy, but also somehow manage to make the booty look fly? That’s what’s most important. My response to the anonymous texter in last week’s #LomaChatter is “yes.” Yes, I actually do practice yoga everyday. Between my packed schedule of six classes, a heavy homework load and working four times a week, I usually have to fit in my hot yoga practice (literally hot, as in 105ºF hot) between or immediately after classes. Since yoga sessions typically include the wearing of yoga pants (surprise!), this requires me to be prepared beforehand so I can zip off campus before the studio locks its doors (or before my spot on the right hand side gets taken). While black leggings aren’t a requirement for yoga practice, they are what I and thousands of other yogis, choose to wear because not only do I feel confident and comfortable in them, but they also allow me to focus more on my practice and less on wardrobe malfunctions such as loose, baggy pants falling down in inversions, or exposed, sweaty skin causing slippage

in arm balances. Yoga pants are made to be like a second skin because yoga is meant to be practiced skin-on-skin (hence the many images of traditional yogis wearing diapers). My yoga practice is not just a form of exercise and a way to get a “yoga body.” For me, it’s moving meditation, a way to let go, a way to gain more, a test of finding comfort in the uncomfortable, a change in perspective (being upside down does that) and it has made me a much better, less reactive, and more loving human being. I just so happen to choose to practice yoga in overpriced spandex and that’s really nobody’s business but my own. Here is a really simple solution for those who disagree with our choice to wear something we find cute, comfortable, and functional: do yourself a favor and stop nitpicking everything you don’t personally find aesthetically pleasing and compliment people instead. No harm has ever come from being more kind. Some females choose not to shave, wear bras, or do their makeup too, and that’s awesome. What we choose to put on (or not put on) our bodies is our choice and in no way affects anyone else. Exhale love only. Kaylie is a senior writing major, a yogini and a lover of holistic health. She aspires to one day open a yoga studio, write for a health and wellness magazine and have her very own avocado tree.

To acknowledge or to avoid: stop the “Loma Know” BY ABBY HAMBLIN SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR

Jessa meets Marnie at a birthday cook out for a mutual friend of theirs on a Saturday. They end up sitting next to each other and laugh about their shared passion for all things bacon, including hamburgers. While deeply engaged in conversation, they both find out that they were once in the same World Civilizations class. They leave the party and don’t see each other for two weeks. Then Jessa sees Marnie in the library as she walks to the bathroom. They make eye contact. Marnie doesn’t wave. Jessa turns her head and keeps walking. Adam decides to go to his church’s college service for the first time one Wednesday and is placed in a small group. Most all of the college students in the group are from other San Diego schools, except for one girl which he has seen around at PLNU. He sits next to her and learns her name is Hannah. They both realize they have seen each other before and are glad to have met. Adam decides to attend the college service and small group for the next few weeks and learns a lot about Hannah and everyone else, as they discuss their church’s weekly sermons as well as the joys and pains of living life as 20-something Christians. Adam gets a new job and unfortunately has to work on Wednesday nights. Two

months go by before Adam sees Hannah on campus in the cafeteria. He looks up from the waffle maker and sees her. She looks back at him and then turns away, back to her Instagram as she waits for her omelet. These examples and more are what I call the “Loma Know.” These aren’t real students at PLNU, but they are real scenarios that contribute to this weird culture at our great institution that I’m sure you all have experienced. My definition of the “Loma Know” is the unavoidable scenarios in which either 1) PLNU students know each other for a time, circumstances change and the two act like they don’t know each other for the rest of their time at PLNU or 2) when PLNU students know each other from seeing each other around campus all the time, having a class together, or having a mutual friend and never introduce themselves or acknowledge their mutual knowing. This situation contributes to the strange vibe of so many of us knowing who each other are and knowing a lot about each other, all from seeing what activities each other are involved in, to hearing stories about each other from a mutual friend. The common denominator in all of this is the small size of our school. Unless you are completely unobservant, commute, or zoom in and out of campus, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Maybe one of the

simplest examples I can provide stems from everybody’s favorite forced social situation: the freshman small group. I don’t know how your small group was, but in mine, we were all forced to go on the “hot seat.” In it, we had to let the rest of the group question us as we either dodged certain issues or bared our souls. The group went on for an entire semester, so there was no way you could walk out of there without at least one or two names and faces committed to memory. And yet, how many people from your freshman small group can you say you acknowledge on campus to this day? How many times have you walked past one of them on Caf Lane and wondered if they would wave or say hello and they didn’t? How many times have YOU avoided someone from your freshman small group? I know I have. As a senior just weeks away from graduation, I feel like I have enough experience with this to reflect about it and give some advice. My advice is this: END THE “LOMA KNOW.” I’m calling on the juniors (the class of 2015) to start the revolution, teach the underclassmen and bring this place to the level of friendliness we say is present when we talk about “community” but is only really present in our chosen communities, not beyond. You don’t have to stop and ask every single person for their life story, but make an effort to learn peoples’

names, acknowledge them in the future and maybe even take a step further than “Loma knowing” them and ACTUALLY get to know them. And guess what else people, this is also known as networking. While I hate to think of this place as some awkward, giant network 9, I love the prospect of all we can learn from and share with each other and we don’t even have to work that hard. It actually takes more work to avoid people than it does to commit to actually knowing them. Let’s commit to getting to know people. Not only will we be saving ourselves from squirmy awkward moments on Caf Lane, but we’ll be actually living out this whole “community” thing. Take it from someone who purposely uses walking to class time as email checking time to avoid awkward run-ins: it isn’t the fun way to go about this Loma life. I’m as guilty as anyone, but I find it absolutely absurd that I could share a paint roller with someone on a Mexico trip and then we cannot say hi to each other in the library bathroom. For those of you with time left at Loma, here’s your chance to get it right. Abby is a senior journalism major from Andover, Kansas. She is interested in foreign policy, college basketball and boy bands and hopes to find a career in journalism writing about any or all of those things.

#LomaChatter

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

Latherus

Joseph Stalin, king of dreams

Is that a sermon or a prayer bro.

Why isn’t Kim short for Kimothy?

Dazing in the Days Inn...for days

I’ve prayed a lot in Prescott Chapel and I’ve had my prayers answered in Prescott Chapel

We got a new tape dispenser at work. Most exciting thing that’s happened in the library since 1985....

The surest way to get all the classes you want with at the times you want: don’t be a freshman.

1 smart fellow, he felt smart. 2 smart fellows, both felt smart. 3 smart fellows, they all felt smart (3x fast)

Couples yogurt.

Why didn’t I blow my bank account to go to Coachella?!!! #missingout

For all the romantics out there, please watch Justin Timberlake’s video for “Not A Bad Thing” and go buy tickets for his world tour.

Team Emma and Hook! Thumbs up if you know what I’m talking about! #onceuponatime

Senior Dessert made it all real for me. Graduation in a few weeks! Freakout!