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STUDENT REFLECTS ON FIRST EVER COACHELLA P.10

The Point Weekly point loma nazarene university

monday, april 28, 2014

volume 42 | issue 22

COMMENCEMENT COUNTDOWN

Prioritization announcements expected this week BY ABBY HAMBLIN STAFF WRITER

To see where some of this year’s seniors are headed, see p. 8

Students stuck on housing wait list BY AMY WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Residential Life is still trying to place 47 students in campus housing. After this year’s housing selection process took place, ending April 16, some students were forced to choose off campus housing options when they signed up to live on campus. Residential Life is still working to place 47 students who are on the wait list to get on campus. These students might have to move off campus or choose the option to live in Days Hotel in Mission Valley. “We saw more seniors wanting to live on campus and an average number of juniors requesting off campus,” said Molly Petersen, assistant director of housing. “All off campus requests

were approved this year.” There were 245 students who requested to live off campus. Many students who initially wanted to be on campus but who received off-campus placement are not very happy with their situation. “Either let seniors choose first or have more options of living,” said junior Callie Salmon via email. “It’s just very inconvenient for PLNU housing to do this to seniors.” When Salmon signed in to get her housing placement, she found that there were no other options left on campus or in Colony so her choices were to live in Days Hotel, which she was opposed to, or to live off campus. “I didn’t want to live off campus, but now that I am, I’m ok with it,” said Salmon. “But now I’m

stressing out trying to find a good apartment complex.” One of the biggest problems that upperclassmen had with the process was that classes below them got to choose before they did. Juniors were allowed to choose before seniors therefore leaving limited space for seniors to live in Flex. As of last week, 21 students have signed up for the Days Hotel option. “We are actively working daily to get as many of the 47 students who would like to be on campus a spot on campus,” said Petersen. “We would love to be able to accommodate everyone.” Residential Life will be working with these numbers to get as many people accommodated as possible and will continue to work through the

PLNU spending cut decisions known as “prioritization” have been delayed from their originally scheduled announcement dates of April 22 or 23 and are expected to be made some time this week. “The Cabinet’s original goal was to conclude all of our prioritization work by the last Friday,” wrote PLNU President Bob Brower in an email to faculty and staff on April 21, obtained by The Point Weekly. “However, the extent of the data and our commitment to consider all relevant information in the decision making process, is requiring additional research and evaluation time before final decisions are made.” The Point Weekly has confirmed that multiple departments have been asked by Provost and Chief Academic Officer Kerry Fulcher to meet with him regarding prioritization on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. Faculty and staff are expected to hear the results of the work of two committees of university employees and the administrative cabinet who considered self-review reports produced by campus departments and organizations in order to cut $2.2 million in campus-wide spending. “The process leading up to prioritization has unfortunately been sufficiently labyrinthine and convoluted to make predictions impossible,”

said Professor of Philosophy and Religion Samuel Powell via email. “We don’t even know the focus and priority of the cuts: departmental majors? Professors? Other programs? Some of each?” The Administrative and Support Review and Academic Affairs Review committees each had financial targets to meet and made recommendations to the university’s administrative cabinet. The Academic Affairs Review Committee looked to cut $1.3 million and the Administrative Support and Review Committee looked to cut $900,000. All members of the established committees were asked to sign confidentiality agreements. “The true character of each person and of this body as a Christ-centered community will be revealed and tested in the coming days, weeks and months,” said Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Justice and Reconciliation Jamie Gates. “Our character will be revealed in both what changes are made and the ways in which we respond to that change. The uncertainty of what is to come has taken its toll on our community. It has been over two years that we have been moving toward the decisions that are about to be released. I feel and pray for those who have to make these decisions, and for everyone who has felt the sting of doubt and uncertainty.“

DS Action Egg Hunt

Student forum says work to be done in diversity issues at PLNU BY VANESSA DOTINGA STAFF WRITER

A student-lead diversity forum revealed that students feel there is still much work to be done in making PLNU a welcoming environment to students of all backgrounds. Members of various MOSAIC clubs spoke of their experiences as minority students and why diversity should matter to all students on April 24 in Cunningham Dining Room.

The forum and following panel was hosted by MOSAIC, the Center for Justice & Reconciliation and International Ministries. Jeffery Carr, chief diversity officer, opened the discussion with his view on the importance of diversity. “Diversity completes us,” Carr said. “It allows us to see ourselves in a different way and become fuller, unified instruments of God.” Carr was a leader on the Black Student Union’s civil rights pilgrim-

age that took place over spring break. Black Student Union President Allison Kendrix summarized the trip, which included stops at a historically black college, the MLK Center, the Rosa Parks Museum and the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. Kendrix depicted the group’s experience in Selma, Alabama where they participated in a commemorative march in honor of the 1965 marches that marked the peak of the Civil Rights Movement.

PHOTO BY CHELSIE OREN San Diego city councilwoman Lorie Zapf participates in the annual School of Education and DS Action Easter Egg hunt on the alumni lawn on April 15. DS Action is a group dedicated to supporting children with Down Syndrome and their families.

the point weekly | monday, april 28, 2014

2 | NEWS

Students campaign for #PLNUneedsfeminism

BY ROSS NEDERHOFF STAFF WRITER

The Center for Women’s Studies at PLNU is currently working against societal norms; doing what they can to change the reputation of a single word: feminism. A group of Women’s Studies minors and supporters put on a campaign in order to raise awareness and communicate their beliefs about what the word actually means. “In general, I would define feminism as the equality of men and

women; the eradication of one gender being thought of as better than the other,” Derek Kirk, a sophomore political science major with a minor in women’s studies said. Through this event, many other students had the opportunity to weigh in on what the concept of feminism means to them and why they think it is important. The group set up several informational booths, near the entrance to The Caf. Each covered a different aspect of the movement. The issues being discussed at the booths ranged including topics such as:

“faith and feminism,” “feminism is not a cuss word,” “men can be feminists too” and “feminism in the beauty industry.” Beyond sparking conversation through the various stations, the event also featured a social media aspect that utilized Instagram to get even more people talking. Visitors to the function were offered the opportunity to write why feminism is important to them on a white board, take a photo with their statement, and post it to Instagram. The results of this activity were also quite varied. Senior Haley Courtney’s expression read “I need Feminism

because…My Type A personality should not be a bad thing.”, while Junior Bree Burris proposed another problem saying “I need Feminism because…No one debates whether men can ‘have it all.’” After the informational exhibition, participants continued exploring the controversy at a dessert reception in Colt Forum. “It was awesome to see people actually curious about my board and becoming informative about what is going on in the black community,” said Jordan Ligons, a class member of the Development of Feminist Thought

Class who put the project together. Many students found it useful to unpack such an intricate subject, and the hosts were encouraged by the results. “We were very pleased with how everything went, said Kirk. “We got some important conversations started and we are already thinking of future events that will help to continue what we started. My hope is that those who participated walked away having seen that feminism is not some destructive force but rather something that can bring equality among everyone.”

Senate struggles with ‘outreach’ section of constitution BY BRITTANY NAYLOR STAFF WRITER

The Student Senate is the representative branch of ASB and one of its duties, per ASB’s Constitution, is to form subcommittees to voice the desires of the students through monthly Campus Voice Outreaches. “As it is written in the Constitution, monthly Campus Voice Outreaches as it sounds like it should be, did not occur officially,” said Haley Courtney, ASB Vice President, who is the chairperson of Student Senate. “I will totally own that, Student Senate will own that.” This responsibility is outlined in the ASB Constitution, Article 7, Section 5, which assigns the five tasks of the Student Senate. However, as Courtney notes, the follow-through on what’s designated in the constitution, has not been at 100 percent. The Campus Voice Outreaches are not consistently happening. Currently, there are two subcommittees established: the Academic Affairs Subcommittee and the Caf Subcommittee. A Res Life Subcommittee was recently disbanded

Diversity FROM PAGE 1

“It’s much more real to be there and connect with members of the community who were in the original Selma march, to meet people who had been attacked by dogs or policemen as they tried to march,” said Kendrix. “It makes you appreciate the privilege of their work we have in the fact that we are now allowed to march without being attacked.” The march in Selma led to a group time of sharing personal experiences that BSU members call the “Selma Soul Night.” The conversations that night centered on the students’ struggles with racism and living as a minority. Sophomore Molly Murphy considers it one of

and two other subcommittees, one for diversity and the other for Greek Life, were dissolved earlier this school year due to an inability of the Student Senate to create changes. Of the established and disbanded subcommittees, only the Caf Subcommittee ever actively reaches out to the students. The section that outlines Campus Voice Outreach in the constitution says the Senate must “engage in regular communication with constituents about the issues discussed in Student Senate meetings with the intent of starting a subcommittee concerning such issues.” The Constitution goes on to explain that the senators must be actively seeking out student input. Alumna Lauren Harris, last year’s vice president, added the Campus Voice Outreaches clause at the end of her term to be enacted by this year’s Student Senate. “I was a part of the discussion when [Harris] was looking at it, and she said to me, ‘we’ll put it in as monthly, but you may not have to do it monthly and it may take different forms than an official forum,’” said Courtney. Despite the Senate’s failure

to fully comply with this section of the constitution, only one task pertaining to the Student Senate has any repercussions outlined in the constitution if it is not completed — attendance — “that each meeting missed will be five percent deduction from the overall semester stipend.” Each position must undergo review to see if he or she completed the requirements of their job. If the review finds responsibilities unfulfilled, normally there is a dock in the stipend pay. The failure to do monthly Campus Voice Outreaches by the Student Senate, however, went without action. “There were no specific consequences for this specific chunk [the Campus Voice Outreaches] because, I think, we fulfilled it as best as we could with the resources we had this year. Next year, I know there are plans to improve it,” said Courtney. There are even some students who serve on the senate that think there should be consequences for lack of action taken against Student Senate for not doing monthly Campus Voice Outreaches. “It should mean that people are getting their stipends docked,” senior

Senator Danny King said. “The Board of Directors also reviews [the Student Senate] in our performance, but there’s a little bit of inside baseball, to use Dr. Kennedy’s phrase. No one wants to say, ‘oh this person wasn’t doing their job’ because then they’re afraid that someone might say that about them. So everyone is writing each other pretty rosy.” The Constitution outlines the responsibilities of every position in the Board of Directors and the general duties of the Student Senate. Despite this, clear checks and balances do not appear to exist in a way where responsibilities going unfulfilled, like Campus Voice Outreaches, result in the consequences due in the spirit of the Constitution. Though Campus Voice Outreaches are not being fully implemented, Student Senate has still been making efforts to hear the students’ voice. “We’re trying to, in a very broad sort of sense, just talk to people: to people we don’t normally talk to, and when we do have people we normally talk to, try to intentionally bring up, ‘how are your classes doing?’,” said King. “People vent a lot and are

frustrated about a lot of things and they never get to voice that to anyone who could help them change the system.” Participation from the students in ASB is another essential piece in the overall effectiveness of ASB’s ability to represent the student body. Of the 2,556 students enrolled at PLNU, only 756 or 30 percent voted in the last ASB elections. “I think you’re missing out on a lot if you just think the campus is just a place to live,” said King. Courtney admitted that ultimately some inconsistencies do exist when it comes to ASB’s direct adherence to the ASB Constitution. “No one fulfills all of their responsibilities. There are things that are not enforced and there are things written down that don’t happen,” said Courtney. “When you’re doing review, you have to be consistent across all the positions, and so if you pick on one person because they didn’t do this part, then you have to pick on everyone because they didn’t do that part.”

the best moments of her life to be part of this communal sharing. “It’s extremely humbling and honoring for people to share honest stories, hurts and struggles in a loving, non-attacking way,” said Murphy. “I grew up in a homogenous community and was unaware of the racial issues that are still present today. They were so full of grace toward me as I listened that night and tried to understand their experiences; there was no bitterness or condemnation.” BSU Board Member and future Vice President Ebanezare Tadele spoke openly of his mixed feelings toward the PLNU campus and its treatment of minority students. “It’s a heavy burden to feel like your thoughts aren’t heard,” Tadele said. “As Christians we have this ideal

of how to deal with different issues, but we often miss the mark. Our goal is to make sure that what we want to be is actually what we are.” Tadele went on to compare his “love-hate relationship” with PLNU to buying a used car. “At first, everything seems perfect, exactly what you need, and you’re excited…until you drive off the lot and realize some things are missing,” Tadele explained. Tadele expressed how he still feels anxiety when he goes into the cafeteria, similar to the way a new student feels. Other BSU members spoke about how some students struggle just to come to class, and even of some who have left the school altogether. Members attribute this to the issue of internalized racism within the educa-

tional system. “Even if we don’t understand their insecurities or don’t think we are contributing to this atmosphere, we can’t deny that their feelings are valid” said Kendrix. The testimonies given by the panelists highlighted the need for continued progress in achieving equality for all. The diversity forum was meant to be a small step in raising awareness and opening the door for more “Selma Soul Night” conversations. “We can’t blame people for their ignorance if they’ve never been told,” said Tadele. Junior BSU member Keana McGrath recalled her visit to Birmingham from the perspective of a white student dealing with the reality of what white people have done

in the past. “We are still ignorant, and we let race define us,” said McGrath. “Letting white burden define me is another way of letting race define us. This isn’t just an issue of black or white. It’s the problem of evil, and it doesn’t only come in colors or shades. We have to fight it with love.” Carr challenged students to notice the things of historical significance that have shaped our society that we take for granted. “After seeing it, we know that we each have a responsibility. There’s still more work to be done,” said Carr, “Be prepared to hear not only with your ears, but also with your heart as you listen to those around you.”

monday, april 28, 2014 | the point weekly

NEWS | 3

Professor receives grant for human-trafficking study

‘Resurrection Art Show’ showcases student artists

BY SHANNON BARR STAFF WRITER

PHOTO BY ROSS NEDERHOFF Students, Kenzie Klinger and Megan Christensen gathered in the ARC on April 23 for the “Rooted In Resurrection” Art Show. The event, which was put on by the Sustainability Club, gave many artists a chance to share their take on nature, rebirth, resurrection and new life. It also gave the club a chance to raise awareness and inspire environmental change. Around 40 students attended this event.

If you ask Jamie Gates, the director of PLNU’s Center for Justice and Reconciliation (CJR), how he got involved in the anti-human trafficking movement, he’ll blame his students. Prior to some students inquiring about his knowledge of human trafficking, what he calls modern-day slavery, Gates, also a professor of sociology, primarily focused on worker justice, immigration rights, poverty relief and homelessness, among other things. After Gates began to research the subject of human trafficking more, his involvement grew. “With students, we started to explore what was happening internationally for a few years and then started to be invited into circles locally, because they knew we were researching this,” said Gates. In 2012, the National Institute for Justice awarded a grant, just under $400,000, for a project called Gang Involvement in Human Sex-Trafficking. Gates is collaborating with Ami Carpenter, assistant professor at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego, and Dana Nurge, professor of criminal justice at San Diego State University, to head this study. The results to this study will be presented in summer 2015. The study is made up of four components: interviewing gang members in prison and on the streets, working with all levels of law enforcement by examining non-public data and field notes, working with school focus groups by determining their knowledge on the subject and creating standardized questions for social service agencies working with human trafficking individuals. Beauty for Ashes, CJR’s abolition program on PLNU’s campus, has three student interns, including sophomore Jessica Hong, a psychology major. She works with Michelle Shoemaker, CJR’s program director for Anti-Human Trafficking, in connecting with churches and organizations like Generate Hope, a rehabilitation house providing therapy for survivors of human trafficking. “We focus on labor and sex trafficking,” said Hong. “We’ve kind of looked at it as a whole, rather than sectors.” At the Beauty for Ashes meetings, students are presented with what is

going on in the area and guided on how they connect with churches or organizations with the same mission to end human trafficking. “We’re working at three different levels,” said Gates. “My work, and Michelle’s work and Beauty for Ashes, all combine to raise awareness — particularly be involved in the student research, to be involved in the deep research, to know what we’re actually seeing and talking about. And the third is to mobilize, in particular, the congregations to be involved in the social movement itself.” San Diego First Church of the Nazarene is hosting the Interfaith Summit on May 8, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., organized by the Interfaith Center for Worker Justice of San Diego County. The gathering will discuss ending human trafficking in San Diego with an expert speakers panel. According to Gates, labor trafficking most often occurs with undocumented workers and sex trafficking is common in San Diego because the city is a tourist destination spot. “You would think because we’re a border city, that would be the top reason, but actually most of the sex trafficking that’s discovered here is internal, not across-the-border sex trafficking,” said Gates. This summer, two Beauty for Ashes interns are contributing to the research with Gates, including junior Mollie Ah Sing, international studies major and research and advocacy intern for Beauty for Ashes. “I kind of keyed into human trafficking from being a part of Jamie Gates’s class,” said Ah Sing, who studied abroad in Nepal in fall 2013, completing an independent research project on anti-trafficking organizations. Gates said Beauty for Ashes has created a scholarship fund for survivors of human trafficking to have the opportunity to attend PLNU. He said there are three people eligible for this scholarship, provided they get funding made possible through donations made to CJR. This summer, the Beauty for Ashes team is earnestly looking to raise these funds. “It may be this fall that we are able to welcome our first person who was a trafficking victim, who is now a survivor,” said Gates. Gates will be teaching a SOC 420 course called “Social Change” focused on case studies of human trafficking next fall.

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the point weekly | monday, april 28, 2014

4 | FEATURES

features

THINK ON THAT

“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” from the film A Cinderella Story

Lent giving campaign raises funds for school in Haiti BY SHANNON BARR STAFF WRITER

While journeying on a bus in Zambia from Congo, Brian Becker, director of International Ministries had an idea: the lent season is a good time to create an opportunity for PLNU students, staff and faculty to provide an annual offering helping those in need. “Lent seemed like the perfect time because it is an annual Christian season of repentance, prayer, fasting and giving,” said Becker via email. “Lenten observance is something that Christians have been doing for millennia but it has faded for many evangelicals, including many Nazarenes.” For this year’s Lent Giving Campaign, PLNU is joining universities like Mount Vernon Nazarene University and MidAmerica Nazarene University, in partnership with Heart to Heart International, to raise funds to support the building of a schoolhouse in Cascade Pichon, Haiti. The school will serve more than 350 stu-

dents in the community. “We always think of Lent as a time where we give up something and we never think of it as a time to give,” said Esteban Trujillo, associate director of International Ministries. “The reason why we give is to create more space for us to pray -- to have this deeper, intentional relationship with God. And it’s during this time of prayer and seeking, that God reveals how we can serve and give.” PLNU got involved with this project through a LoveWorks team. From May 18 to June 8, PLNU will send a group of students to Cascade Pichon, teamed with Heart to Heart International, to provide their services in health clinics. “What’s really cool is that we’ve had this ongoing relationship with Haiti,” said Trujillo. “We’ve sent LoveWorks teams to Haiti and it’s really great to be able to grow this relationship with people in that area and kind of help out.” So far, PLNU has raised about $3,500 of its $10,000 goal. Donations

were made through online giving, donation boxes at the front desk of the Spiritual Development office and through chapel services, which were on April 4 and 16. The online donation site and donation boxes are still accepting donations. According Trujillo, the estimated cost of the building project is more than $40,000. “Many students at PLNU haven’t practiced lent before, some haven’t been challenged to give sacrificially to help those in need - whether the need is clean water, education, medical care, or other basics that we often take for granted,” said Becker. “We want LoveWorks to connect with more than those who go (on trips). We want to be deeply committed to giving and compassion through the church.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF PLNU MISSIONS A LoveWorks trip from May 18 to June 8 will be going to Cascade Pichon, Haiti, where funds raised at PLNU will be put to work building a school.

Honoring retiring faculty DARREL FALK BY SENIOR EDUARDO “PO” ALVAREZ

I approached Dr. Falk after class my freshman year, after a lecture where we discussed evolution and the conservation of DNA among different species. I explained to him that in high school my faith was shaken when I began to study evolution and the further I dove into studying the relationship between humans and primates, the more my faith began to crumble. In

MICHAEL MCCONNELL BY SENIOR NATHAN KEYS

I first met Dr. McConnell when I took Molecular Biology during my sophomore year. It was perhaps one of the most challenging courses I’ve taken in the biology department, but nonetheless I found it extremely interesting and rewarding. Soon enough I found myself signing up for Advanced Biochemistry that next semester and later on I had

NORM SHOEMAKER BY PROFESSOR KARL MARTIN

Near the end of my sophomore year at Point Loma in 1979, I was selected to participate in a summer ministry program called Youth in Mission. The program was much like the LoveWorks program now available to students. In those days, the program was run by the Church of the Nazarene for all of the Nazarene colleges in the United States and Canada. I was placed with three students from three other Nazarene colleges in

our conversation, Dr. Falk shared his wisdom, his passion for biology and the study of human origins and his love for God. It was one of the first instances when I recognized I was meant to be studying biology at PLNU. Dr. Falk has been a professor of biology at PLNU since 1988. Before PLNU, Dr. Falk’s research focused on Drosophila molecular and developmental genetics with funding from the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation. Most recently, he authored the

book, “Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology.” In his book, Dr. Falk describes his academic and spiritual journey in reconciling Christian belief with biological evolution. This dialogue is particularly important these days as it seeks to start a conversation concerning the role of evolution in relation to our Christian faith, an issue I’ve chosen to struggle with. I’ve come full circle with Dr. Falk. In my last semester at PLNU, I’m tak-

ing his course entitled Human Evolution where we further explore the origins of humans within a Christian context. The issue of human origins is not easy, but Dr. Falk has eloquently spoken about the miraculous nature of Christ and the processes by which He works in. I am privileged to have known Dr. Falk these past few years. He as been a gentle, humble and gracious friend who has helped me and countless students and professors develop

the amazing privilege to research with him in the summer. Dr. McConnell has been a part of the PLNU biology department for many years and has even served as the department chair, so my respect for him is very great. Whenever I go into the science building, I often see Dr. McConnell in one of the labs working on his research or with his students in their class labs. He really enjoys what he does and puts so much time and effort into it

and that is something I really admire about him. It was very fulfilling during summer research to be able to help him out with his research and take some of the work off his shoulders. One of the most important things I learned through my time researching with him was to be patient with the little details and not cut corners when working on tedious procedures – something that I believe will help me a lot as I continue to pursue a career in biology research.

Other things I appreciate about Dr. McConnell are his sense of humor, his love of coffee, his generosity in offering students free snacks and his willingness to open his house for some really awesome end-of-the-year parties. All in all, Dr. McConnell has been one of PLNU’s greatest biology professors and will definitely leave some big shoes to fill.

the inner-city of Buffalo, New York, to help the local Nazarene church reach out to children in the neighborhoods surrounding the church. That summer ministry provided me with one of the most formative experiences of my life. I didn’t know it at the time, but one of the people responsible for my selection was Norm Shoemaker. In the decades since, Norm has been instrumental in providing similar experiences for hundreds, if not thousands, of students just like me. He has also been responsible for enriching the lives of women and men

engaged in pastoral ministry with programs that have given them the opportunity for further study and engagement with Christian thinkers and writers. If I might be so bold as to speak for the hundreds of people who have been formed by the experiences Norm has made available for us—and the thousands who have been touched by the ministry of those placed in those programs—I would say a huge thank you to Norm for a career so well spent in ministry. Whether he has been the pastor of a local church (as he was at San Diego First Church of the Naza-

rene when my wife and I came to San Diego and joined his congregation in 1998) or working for the university, Norm has faithfully lived out his call to ministry. On the occasion of his retirement from Point Loma, we can now say what Norm will hear his Master say at the judgment: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” We will miss him greatly. But we have the pattern of his faithful service as a model for our own discipleship to the Lord and Savior we know Norm confesses and has served so well.

monday, april 28, 2014 | the point weekly

FEATURES | 5

City Heights crime affects small business owner

PHOTO BY LOUIS SCHULER Situated on the corner of University and Winona Avenues lies University Market, a produce and convenience store which City Heights resident Sirvana owns with her husband. BY LOUIS SCHULER STAFF WRITER

It’s about 8:30 a.m. A pair of dark red Catholic, Virgin Guadalupe candles with a picture of the Virgin Mary stare into the eyes of the two “customers” at the cramped University Market store in City Heights as they walk through the entrance. One might think it is the mark of a good omen, a silent guardian always watching over the place perhaps— though not on this night. While watching the channel 8 KUSI news on a television on the old disheveled counter, she could not have fathomed what was about to happen next. A pair of men entered, walking swiftly to the far edge of the counter, away from the entrance where Sirvana—who declined to reveal her last name for the fear of her safety—was sitting. One of the men reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun. “Put your head down, don’t look at me and give me all your money,” he said. Pause. Sirvana was terrified. “They…took everything out of the safe, the cash register…I thought to myself, ‘why should I give them this money, why should I do this?’ But at that moment, you want to save your life,” she said. After taking everything they could from the safe and emptying the register of its contents, they ran off in what appeared to be a getaway car. “I still had nightmares for 2 months after that, I would wake up at 2 or 3 o’clock at night…of the men coming in and threatening me,” Sirvana said. A life in City Heights Sirvana, who moved to the U.S. from Iraq, maintains her job as a co-store owner with her husband in spite of the horrific robbery on

Sept. 30, 2013. “I’ve worked here for 20 years, I’ve had good relationship(s) with the customers; no fighting or anything like that,” she said. In contrast to Sirvana’s optimism, City Heights has one of the highest narcotic to crime ratios in San Diego. One officer who works specifically in the City Heights area, Benjamin Stanley, a PLNU alumnus, as well as a 5-year police officer on the crime suppression team and investigations, has seen these statistics play out in his work as an officer. “If I were to compare it (City Heights) to say Mission Valley or something like that, there is definitely a difference, and there are many different reasons for that,” he said. According to crime mapping data from the San Diego Police Department, the combined average number of crimes per 1,000 people in the immediate City Heights area came out to be 28.58, which was reported from January of 2013 to December of 2013; a higher rate than other neighborhoods in the study. To put it into perspective, if one were to combine the crime average for all of the small 14 neighborhoods sectioned in the City Heights area, it would be the third largest region in relation to the other 126 neighborhoods involved in the crime analysis. In terms of the average crimes reported per 1,000 people in the year 2013 alone, there were approximately 400 announced. Some people like Cynthia Zavala, a resident of City Heights for the past year and a half, have mixed feelings about the living conditions. “It’s not that clean, it’s trashy and dirty. It depends. Some people are nice, it’s really half-and-half for me,” Zavala said. Others, particularly new residents to City Heights, Sharon White and John Black, are hopeful while making the best out of what they currently own.

PHOTO BY LOUIS SCHULER Sirvana’s store was robbed in late September of last year. She is now recovering from the trauma the robbery caused her.

“It’s okay, so far so good,” Black said. “This area really suits where we’re at in our income for the time being, so we really have no other choice right now.” “Everybody’s friendly so far, definitely a diverse crowd,” White said. Recovering from trauma When threatened with death and being a victim of a serious crime, changes are often made to a survivor’s psyche; however, Stanley retains the assertion that there is no explainable reason for Sirvana to find a new job and that City Heights is not a bad place to live, especially in regards to the many students and faculty from PLNU who conduct ministry and attend church in the area. “Honestly, I wouldn’t say she has to move,” Stanley said. “There’s actu-

ally quite a few PLNU alumni that live in City Heights. You just have to make sure you aren’t putting yourself in precarious situations that would make yourself an easy victim.” But while combating potential danger, Sirvana has kept unrelenting resolve. “The security here is much better here than back home. I’ve been living here since 1980, and there hasn’t been any problems until that incident…and sometimes it’s really hard to make a living here as a foreign citizen,” Sirvana said. “But what can you do? You got to make a living, you have to work, it’s not the end of the world you know.” It’s 4:30 p.m. now on Jan. 21, 2014, nearly four months after the incident. Busy cars are weaving in and out of the narrow two-lane street running adjacent to the store situated on

the corner of Winona and University Avenue—a few miles away from the PLNU Community Classroom—bustling about through rush hour traffic. Across the street staring back into the produce store’s parking lot are a group of men dressed in long white garments similar to a thobe, characteristic of the Muslim culture, watching blissful children playing street soccer. Sirvana briefly looks up from her desk at the children and smiles, perhaps admiring their carelessness while being able to live in the moment, or seeking a means for dealing with emotional catharsis from the horrific event she endured a few months ago. The sun starts to set as she reclines in her chair, watching the KUSI news and she looks on to another day of unknowns.

the point weekly | monday, april 28, 2014

6 | FEATURES

Seniors reflect on their time at PLNU

ings have dramatically changed over the last four years and I now feel more at home here than anywhere else. Point Loma has become such an unforgettable place for me because of

the change that I have experienced in the way that I see God and people. I was raised in a Christian family and for the greater majority of my life, viewed God as someone to fear and someone who I was obligated to serve. Secretly I was bitter because I felt like he held me back from living life fully. I followed him out of a conviction to do the “right” thing, although my true self felt repressed. While I proclaimed his goodness to others (because the Bible said so), I desperately wanted to know this God and this love that I spoke of and grew up hearing about. Spring semester of my freshman year, somebody prayed for me to experience God’s love personally. Little did I know that this would begin the unfolding of a radically different way of seeing God. Over the next three years, I came to believe Jesus’ words in John 10:10 where he says “I came that you might have life and life more abundantly.” Instead of seeing God as one who took away from my life, I began to experience his fullness and joy in my friendships, nursing, and life adventures. Starting sophomore year, I stole Paul’s request to know the “height, depth, and width” of God’s love for me (Ephesians 3). I am amazed by the way that God has answered me so personally – even over other seemingly insignificant things that I’ve prayed about.

It is one of the most exciting things to ask God about something and then see him actually answer. I cannot express how life changing it has been to switch from viewing God as an oppressive taskmaster that I am obligated to obey to a God who loves me unconditionally and actually is a lot of fun. So I would encourage you to ask him. Ask, ask, ask and see what happens. Probably one of my other favorite things about PLNU is that I have made some of my closest friends here. Even better, most of them are people I would have never imagined myself hanging out with. I love being proved wrong when I misjudge people. This past year has been quite challenging at times to balance senior year of nursing school with being a freshman RA. It has also been the most rewarding year. I’ve loved the relationships that I have formed with the residents in Hendricks and I would call many of them my close friends. I feel privileged to have served as a part of ResLife and can only hope that I have encouraged others to take advantage of their time here at this place. In closing, I’d like to say that pretty cool things can happen when you put yourself out there, let yourself love people and are open to spontaneous adventures!

With graduation approaching and the knowledge that I’ll be attending graduate school in the fall, it’s hard to believe that my time at Point Loma is coming to an end. It would be an understatement to say that these four years have been the best of my life. Being a double major in Writing and Music, not only have I had the chance to follow my passions, but also the opportunity to grow in my faith as a Catholic and develop lifelong bonds with friends and faculty. Every experience at Point Loma has shaped me and helped me grow into a person I am proud to be—including, but not limited to, Point Loma Singers, my Sundance Film Festival trip, study abroad to the British Isles, classes and the office visits with faculty. The openness of people at Point Loma made me feel welcome and encouraged me to strive toward my dreams as a student, a writer, a musician, a person. Perhaps three of the most mean-

ingful experiences I’ve had at Point Loma occurred this past semester. The first was my last Point Loma Singer’s choir tour. Over the tour we performed concerts, but the special part was the time I spent with my fellow members on the car rides, the museum trip and all our other miscellaneous adventures. We really bonded as a group and became closer friends. Although bittersweet, it was one of the most events of my life because Point Loma Singers has been like a family to me. The second was the honors conference and banquet. Having the chance to share my research and also be honored by faculty, family and friends for all my hard work along with other fellow students was really special. It was especially wonderful to share this moment in my life with my parents. The last event was the LJML Senior Brunch where the department’s graduating seniors were recognized. There I had the opportunity to pay

tribute to my favorite professor, Dr. Michael Dean Clark, who was leaving the LJML family to teach at Azusa Pacific in the fall. To honor him I worked with other seniors and faculty and presented him with a commemorative journal with student and faculty reflections and photos. Also, toward the end the faculty sang a song for the seniors and many of us cried because as a department we were a family as well. But even in the midst of sadness, we celebrated the happy memories and the people who were important in our lives—and that’s what mattered. With these and all my other memories, I find it hard to leave such a wonderful community, but I know that Point Loma will never leave me. It already has a special place in my heart. I’ve been truly blessed to have attended PLNU these past four years and I’ll apply everything I’ve learned here in the years of my life to come.

KITIMA CHAIMONGKOL There’s no way for me to capture my experience at PLNU in the brevity of this reflection, but I will attempt to give you a glimpse.

It began with a rocky start at NSO orientation when I was filled with doubt and regret that I had chosen this small Christian university for my college experience. However, those feel-

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monday, april 28, 2014 | the point weekly

FEATURES | 7

Highs and lows of Loma life

ARIELLE NIEMEYER

It was in a round of “Highs and Lows” — a trivial icebreaker game that provides a forum for us to catch one another up on our lives — that I was reminded of the little things. The joys we’re praising, matched with the struggles we’re facing. As my friends were sharing their most recent journeys, I realized that my “highs” and “lows” were all wrapped up together. As a graduating senior, I feel like I’ve been in a place of constant recognition. Recognition of the incredible foundation I’ve built here at PLNU, in the last four years. Recognition of the deep love and respect, that has grown in me, for the body of Christ that I’ve been blessed by. Recognition of the knowledge I’ve attained from the countless professors that have so willingly poured into my life—not just academically. Recognition of the person I’ve grown into— a person that is so accredited to the mentors, the friends and the God that I’ve come to call family. It was in this simple game that all of these recognitions flooded me

at once. It was as though I was living my entire college experience in a single moment. A high: participating in the most epic game of campus-wide Fugitive freshmen year—cops were called at Adal’s and a plethora of fences were jumped. A low: that time ASB brought “snow” to Caf Lane and the pile of ice quickly turned into a tailbone injury waiting to happen. A high: studying abroad in Greece and getting to travel around Europe for the first time. A low: extreme jet lag, getting lost during a London downpour (with suitcase), and the airline losing my luggage somewhere in Iceland. A high: working as a Nease RA for two years and getting to hang out with the most awesome coworkers and residents. A low: living in a freshman hall four years in a row…moldy shower caddies, countless “Box” shifts and nocturnal freshmen neighbors. A high: any class with the humorously-sarcastic professor Dean Nelson. A low: the copious amounts

of essay-writing required in any class with the humorously-sarcastic professor Dean Nelson—fourteen essay questions on the WRI250 final? Really, Dean? A high: attending a college where your professors are your friends (in real life and on Facebook), your friends are your mentors and your mentors are for life. A low: having to graduate from that same college and learn how to plant roots in a new, unfamiliar community. Throughout all of the hustle and bustle between now and graduation— finishing up projects, finals week and end-of-the-year parties—I’ll remember to acknowledge the little things. Whether it’s listening for the distant break of the waves offshore or stopping to say thanks to the Cafeteria card scanner or telling a professor how they’ve helped me do a better job at life… I promise to remember these things. And all of the things I’ve learned here.

Making the most of college years It was almost 100 degrees and the air conditioning wasn’t working in my parents’ blue Dodge Durango as we drove just over 500 miles down the I-5. The back of the car was full of all of the things that I would need for the next year of my life, save the cliché college dorm items that I would get on a quick Target run. NSO was awkward, saying goodbye to my family for the first time was hard and starting this new chapter was scary. I was nervous, scared and excited, all at the same time. Here’s the big secret, y’all: we’re all stressed out. We’re all doing more work than we should be, working long hours and trying to maintain some semblance of a social life. Don’t let that control your life. Here are some tips that I learned along the way: Get a C. Get a C- maybe. In 10 years, you won’t remember the grade you got in Optimal Health. You will remember the memories made swimming in the Pacific at 3 a.m. with two of your best friends. Love your friends. And this is a big one. Take the time to appreciate the people you are living life with.

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Go to a party at a loft downtown. Go on a coffee date. Go on a road trip. After this is all over, the people you spent these formative years with will be spread out all across the country, so take advantage of proximity. Sometimes the best way to de-stess during finals week is a dance party to Madonna. Turn it up too loud and let the people in the room below you party, too. Study abroad. Go where you want to go, go where you need to go. I went to New York the fall of my junior year and met some of the best people that I have ever met. If studying abroad isn’t for you, then that’s chill, too. Study abroad in your own city. Go to the Gaslamp, go to Barrio Logan, sneak onto the rooftop at a hotel downtown and feel rebellious and glamorous at the same time. Call your parents. Go to Los Angeles to see that band in concert. You won’t regret it. Don’t ever take yourself too seriously. If you hold yourself to a certain set of rules and expectations about who you are as a person, you will never be able to change and grow. Open yourself up to the

world, open yourself up to people. Open yourself up to the very serious possibility that there is a better version of you to be found. Work hard. It’s all fine and dandy to get that C in Optimal Health, but I sure hope you’re getting a 4.0 in your major. Get an internship. Get three internships. Build your resume. Get better at what you do. Do what you care about. Learn how to be an adult. College is a beautiful time when people don’t expect too much out of you. The postcollege world isn’t so easy. Wash your dishes, pay your rent. Figure these things out now. Your college years are what you make them. It’s four short years that will fly by in a second. Work hard, play hard and listen to too much Miley.

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Michal Hoenecke From: Huntington Beach, California Major: Biology Where to: Rochester, Michigan Why: I will be moving to Rochester, Michigan to attend Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. Since I was eight it has been my dream to become a doctor so I’m pretty darn stoked to be attending OUWB, even if it means freezing my butt off in the process.

Seniors on

With the class of 2014’s most common strength being “

senior class will aspire to do great things. After graduati

United States to chase their dreams. The Point Weekly w show just how far these seniors will go to achieve.

William Janelli From: Huntington Beach, California Major: Business Administration Where to: Chiang Mai, Thailand Why: I am going to northern Thailand to teach English. I plan on traveling around Southeast Asia, enjoying the nature and creating music.

Alyssa Salter From: San Diego, California Major: Theatre Where to: London, England Why: I am attending the University of Essex in London to get my MFA in Acting. It is a two year program and in the fall we do our first performance at Shakespeare’s Globe on the Thames. I am going to this program because I did the PLNU London study abroad program with the Winderls, studying British literature and theatre. I knew immediately that I wanted to live in London and continue my education in England because of its rich culture and history in theatre. I am very excited because in this program I also get to visit Moscow, Russia for a month to study the great Russian playwrights.

Alyssa Overton

Katie Dexter

From: Mukilteo, Washington

From: Rancho Cucamonga, California

Major: Therapeutic and Community Psychology Where to: Boulder, Colorado Why: I am going to a private university there called Naropa University to obtain my Master of Arts in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in wilderness therapy. Basically, I get to learn to apply what I love (outdoors-y things like hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, and so on) and use it in a therapeutic setting. I found the greatest change within myself happened when I stepped into the wild and so to be able to help foster that growth in others in a setting that has captured my heart; there is no other profession I can imagine doing.

Major: Christian Ministries Where to: Wicklow, Republic of Ireland Why: I was accepted into Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) in Kansas City to study my M.A in Intercultural Studies. I have the honor of accepting the opportunity to join “365 Days in Mission” (365m) through NTS in a placement in the Republic of Ireland with Rev. Stephen and Annette Morley. As I serve in Wicklow (a coastal town, an hour south of Dublin), Ireland, I will be both participating in relational ministry, as well as working on my degree in Intercultural Studies through complementary online courses.

Why: I’m moving to a village in a missionary with Africa Inland the Digo people, a folk Islamic coast, I will be serving as a chi administrator for a primary sch the platform for building relati the community as I learn Kisw to continue to follow Jesus.

n the move

“Achiever” it’s clear the 600 students who make up the

ion on May 10, many will leave California and even the

wanted to highlight a few of this year’s graduates to

Angela Skowronek From: Reno, Nevada Majors: Spanish and International Business Whe re to : Start in Indonesia, work my way through Asia, then Australia and South America. Why : I realized when I was studying abroad last fall my greatest passion lies in traveling, so I decided to pursue my thirst to explore the world while I’m young and see where I end up.

Jessica Wagner From: Nevada City, California Major: Child and Adolescent Development Where to: Near Gallup, New Mexico Why : After graduation I am joining Teach For America and moving to New Mexico to teach middle school or high school math. I have decided to join TFA because I believe education is the most empowering tool a child can be given and I want to help students recognize their potential. I have been poured into, challenged and privileged to live amongst community for many years. Recognizing what I have been given, I am honored and humbled to serve the students who will come through my classroom.

AJ Wolf From: San Clemente, California Major: Philosophy and Theology

Whe re to : After graduation, I’m putting a pack on my back and attempting the Appalachian Trail. I’ll be walking for the next four and a half months; 2,200 miles with my best friend and my dad. I’ll be with my favorite people, doing my favorite thing.

Melody Brewer From: Springfield, Illinois Major: Biblical Studies Where to: Tanzania, Africa

n northeastern Tanzania to be d Mission. While living among c people group living on the ildren’s worker as well as an hool. This work will serve as ionships with the people in wahili and learn what it means

Rebecca Rossiter

Joshua Meersman

From: Yuma, Arizona

From: Orange County, California

Major: Writing Where to: Kansas City, Missouri

Why: I will be going to the Nazarene Theological Seminary and earning a Masters of Divinity. Why not? For two years God has nudged me to use my gifts and experience as a writing major to reach out to the hurt and broken and be there for them. I plan on diving deep into whatever God wants me to learn. I love to write about my faith/faith in general and earning my M Div. would be an awesome way to tie the two together.

Major: Psychology Where to: Creech Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada Why: After commissioning into the Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant on May 18, I will move to Las Vegas shortly thereafter to begin work as an Aircraft Maintenance officer. My job will be to lead and manage the individual’s whose responsibility it is to maintain the aircraft that our Air Force flies and to ensure that each aircraft is inspected and meeting maintenance standards.

DESIGN BY LARA KHODANIAN COMPILED BY ABBY HAMBLIN

the point weekly | monday, april 28, 2014

10 | A&E

a&e

PLAN YOUR WEEK

It’s been a Coachell-of-a journey

PHOTO BY JONATHAN PICKETT ‘Escape Velocity,’ the Coachella astronaut with its own Instagram account (@coachellaastronaut), was the main photo-taking attraction at the festival. The 57-foot sculpture could move its fingers and display photos taken at the festival on its nametag. BY JONATHAN PICKETT STAFF WRITER

My first experience at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival this year was definitely a transcendent and memorable one. The line-up was incredible, the performances were unforgettable and the atmosphere of this world-famous music festival was simply unparalleled. I attended weekend two, which, according to The Hollywood Reporter, greatly surpassed weekend one due to the ideal weather, special guests, the easy-going vibe and the outstanding performances. Upon arrival on the campgrounds,

I observed a few things: animated festival-goers, astounding art installations and super-rad music playing on six different Coachella stages. I was too excited for words. The following are my favorite acts from each day. Day One Grouplove was a blast and easily one of my favorites. They took to the stage like children take to a playground – weird, artsy children. It is evident that they genuinely love playing music and performing for their fans. HAIM was easily my favorite band that I discovered at the festival. The three indie-rocking sisters played a grooving set that had every-

one dancing to the rhythm. Then, the legendary hip-hop duo known as Outkast ended the first night with a muchimproved set from the first weekend. C oachella-goers flooded the main stage as they grooved to classic hits like “Miss Jackson” and “Hey Ya!” Day Two Stressful, but fun. Amazing artists were lined up to play non-stop throughout the entire day, so I felt like I was playing cube runner trying to maneuver between people from one set to the next. After running around constantly, there were still acts that I was disappointed to miss. Cage the Elephant’s set was pure madness. Lead singer

Matt Schultz held nothing back as he screamed into the microphone and had the audience moshing and crowdsurfing early on in the day. The Head and the Heart was a spirited hippie dance party as they rolled out feel-good songs left and right. Capital Cities unexpectedly played the most fun show of the day, which included trumpet solos, a “Stayin’ Alive” cover, and a “Safe and Sound” remix dance party. Then, Lorde performed a unique set accompanied with her awkward, animatronic-like movements (Anyone remember the Grammy’s?) and catchy hits like “Tennis Courts” and “Glory and Gore.” Muse showed the audience

why they won Best Live Act of 2013 with an unforgettable pyrotechnic and political performance complete with fog blasters, epic guitar solos and cherry-picker risers that lifted the band directly over the audience. Day Three A relaxed day followed, which nicely wrapped up the three-day festival. The Naked and Famous played a great show to a tough crowd. They are a talented band, but the audience was standing still and snapping Instagram pictures throughout the entire set. The festival turned into a giant dance party as soon as Calvin Harris took to the main stage, electrifying the hearts of all of those in the crowd with his smash hit “Feel So Close.” Lastly, Arcade Fire went berserk and played one of the most memorable shows I’ve ever witnessed complete with impossibly catchy and epic ballads, smashing drums and a string of guests. Daft Punk — wearing white robot suits — joined the band briefly onstage for a slowed-down version of their summer hit “Get Lucky”; Andrew Garfield (probably) performed a representation of “We Exist” in a ghost-like lady’s costume; a mirror/ reflector creature appeared on a riser along with a skeleton-like creature; and Beck hopped back on stage to join lead singer Win Butler for a cover of Prince’s “Controversy.” After an epic closer, “Wake Up,” the band exited into the VIP lane between the split crowds with the members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band playing a continuation of the song. Butler led the fans via megaphone in the last “Oh’s” of the song before ending the show and thus wrapping up the festival. It was easily one of the most epic shows I’ve ever seen. Weekend two Coachella-goers were more than satisfied with the legendary festival.

Columnist: Post-grad films don’t fulfill expectations BY SEAN WOODARD STAFF WRITER

College graduation: the time for your parents to celebrate your accomplishments while you try to figure out what comes next in life. There have been many films and television shows such as “St. Elmo’s Fire” and “The Graduate” which deal with graduation and the post-grad adjustment to living; however, the accuracy on how films represent this reality has been of constant debate. One of the questions is whether these films play off stereotypes of post-college expectations and lifestyles. Although this may be the case in some films, some argue differently. According to Karl Martin, professor of American Literature, most postgrad films’ approaches such as “The Graduate” and “St. Elmo’s Fire” focus on finding love, rather than meaning, purpose and vocation. For Martin, the one film that seemed most realis-

tic to him was “The Big Chill,” where a group of college friends reunite for a funeral after a friend’s suicide. Martin references a conversation between the characters Sam and Nick: “‘Hey, Nick? You know, we go back a long way, and I’m not gonna piss that away ‘cause you’re higher than a kite.’ ‘Wrong, a long time ago we knew each other for a short period of time; you don’t know anything about me. It was easy back then. No one had a cushier berth than we did. It’s not surprising our friendship could survive that. It’s only out there in the real world that it gets tough.’” For Martin, this dialogue describes college relationships. It reflects the relationships you had with the friends you would see in the cafeteria and in the residence hall, only to see them again at homecoming reunions; you know who they are, but you don’t really know them personally.

In comparison, alumnus Harris Smith, who earned a media communications degree in 2013 with an emphasis in Film Studies graduate, views these types of films in a different way. “Post-grad films encompass the feelings but those feelings aren’t expressed through character actions and events,” Smith says. Smith also notes that characters in these types of films also seem to share the idea of entitlement, that they are going to go out and claim the world. For Smith and fellow 2013 alumnus Kyle Lundberg, who graduated with a journalism degree, the reality of real life is nearly a direct opposite of this entitlement mindset. One film that Lundberg related to for its realism was “Frances Ha.” To Lundberg, the film is about a woman who tries to “find [her] identity, and it keeps on getting out of her grasp. The film spoke so well to the smalltown girl, big city thing, and trying to handle relationships and trying to

handle calling . . . when you’re in college you think you’re going to go and conquer the world and you’re just sort of surviving. How long is this period of just getting by?” Looking back on the year since his graduation, Lundberg says, “You really have to manage your expectations and just realize that the world isn’t going to be handed to you because you have a degree now.” For example, Lundberg and Smith both found themselves without work for a while and moving back home with their parents. Yet, their situations have been beneficial to both of them, especially Lundberg, who is thankful for his family’s support and also is grateful for the opportunity to get to know them as an adult now. Both Lundberg and Smith are now currently employed; Lundberg works as a reporter for “Press-Enterprise” and as a substitute teacher; Smith is a film production assistant and locations manager. Both recog-

nize that to realize your dreams you have to start at the bottom and work your way up. To illustrate this, Lundberg recalls one of the ending scenes from Disney-Pixar’s “Monster’s University.” Both Mike and Sullivan have graduated college and are working as janitors. But through their optimism and hard work, they realize their dream of working on the scare floor, their occupations in the original “Monster’s Inc.” film. Smith and Lundberg both latch onto this optimism. “A college degree isn’t everything,” Lundberg says. “There’s all these non-traditional routes to take to where you want to go. It requires a lot of sweat and hard work.” Similarly, Smith’s advice to this year’s graduates is: “Be patient with your time and life and follow your dreams and what you’re good at.”

monday, april 28, 2014 | the point weekly

A&E | 11

San Diego Fashion week fall preview

Students on the Radar

Courtney Wood, Piano Recital April 29| Crill Auditorium|7:30p.m. Now: Double major in biology and music with an emphasis in piano performance Later: In her year off before medical school, Wood will spend two months in South Africa doing research on marine predators and travel to Haiti with Partners in Health.

fBY KENDALL BOSHART & JORDAN LIGONS STAFF WRITERS

A night of custom cupcakes, live entertainment and, of course, fresh new fall 2014 designs are a few of the things seen at the latest addition to Fashion Week San Diego (FWSD): the Spring Showcase. The showcase is a preview of one piece by each designer. It gives the audience a taste of textures, fabrics and shapes before the actual runway shows in the first week of October. A few of the trends on the runway included full knit tops and bottoms, velvet and vintage, and finally a tribute to the classic black and white basics. The Spring Showcase was open to both new and returning designers who set up booths at Harrah’s Rincon Resort and Casino on Saturday, April 26 to attract the press, bloggers and customers to their designs. Two booths featured full knitwear pieces. One of the designers, Kristine Rodriguez — founder of Responsive Textiles — explained the kind of work that inspires her design philosophy. “I really wanted to showcase both sides of the Grand Canyon in my garments,” Rodriguez said, “both the serenity that comes with the beauty of the landscape and the darker aspect which I see through the erosion of the rock.” Rodriguez’s knit designs and fabric pieces are hand-made. Her preview piece for the runway featured a knit tank top and knit maxi skirt on a familiar face, PLNU senior Nyawech Jock. “The best experience [of Fashion Week San Diego] is the rush of walking the runway,” said Jock, who has been involved with FWSD since last summer. She will also be walking in the main event of Fashion Week San Diego in October. Another upcoming fall trend seen on the runway was the emphasis on basic, well-tailored black and white pieces by designer Otilia Mendez. Mendez is striking out on her own as a solo designer at this year’s fashion week after seeing success with partner Denise Munoz and brand Diestra at FWSD ’13. The basic concepts combine all white or all black pieces in shapes that flatter the corporate woman and the

PHOTO BY JORDAN LIGONS (Above)Designer Stephen Schneider shows off his designs for Bine and Bas menswear, which are all made in the U.S. Schneider was only one of many designers with booths to showcase their work. (Below) A design by RH Creation is worn by a model on the runway. RH Creation won Best Designer at FWSD 2013.

What is it: Wood will be playing pieces from her favorite romantic composers, including Chopin. She will also be playing “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen with senior Britt Doehring singing lyrics. How does your project appeal to the not-so-artistic students? “I think anyone, musical or not, can appreciate beautiful music,” Wood said. “I’m playing a few easily recognizable pieces that everyone should enjoy, ‘Hallelujah’ (made popular in ‘Shrek’) and ‘Clair de Lune’ (one of Debussy’s most famous works).” Major Accomplishment: Memorizing Chopin’s challenging “Mazurka in F# Minor

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PHOTO BY KENDALL BOSHART

trendy fashion-seeker not afraid to mix pieces. While the classic black and white basics are almost always in style, the return to vintage and velvet this fall is for the fashionista who likes to take risks. Designer Rachel Lane takes her brand Lady Lane to the runway this year with vintage inspired looks. Lane spends a lot of her time in antique stores looking for vintage fabric and shapes that she can repurpose into the pieces you will see on the runway during October. “I work on custom pieces because I believe that every woman should be able to find that perfect pair of jeans that fits them exactly,” Lane said. “They shouldn’t have to settle for less.” The attention to detail expressed in Lane’s clothing line — in the form of fur caps with vintage buttons and brooches and beautiful jewelry — can also be seen in another of the on-trend designers for menswear. Designer Stephen Schneider for

Bine and Bas menswear finds his inspiration in classic menswear pieces that have a little twist such as a fun print or bright color pattern. All of Schneider’s pieces are made in the USA and feature unique stitching on the cuffs. Each shirt is made with a specific color pattern in mind and a complementary color on the cuffs. The next step, the designer explained, is incorporating fashionable ties in his line, so men can mix and match them with the custom shirts. With a classic shape and modern color pattern, Bine and Bas offered a great piece that fits well in any environment. After the first half of designs graced the runway, there was musical entertainment by singer-songwriter Aquile and an artist painting live on stage What’s next for Fashion Week San Diego? On May 16, Harrah’s will host the bikini fashion show where designers will showcase their summer readyto-wear looks.

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the point weekly | monday, april 28, 2014

12 | A&E

Cretton talks ‘The Glass Castle’

BY KATHLEEN RHINE STAFF WRITER

PLNU alumnus and noted filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton spoke on campus on April 14 to a small crowd of students and filmmaker hopefuls. The informal event in Crill Performance Hall was a chance for Cretton to show “Short Term 12” — which won both Audience and Grand Jury Awards for Best Narrative Feature at the 2013 South by Southwest Film Festival — and give some background in the directing of the film. The Point Weekly followed up with Cretton to find out more about his upcoming film, “The Glass Castle.” The Point Weekly: First and foremost, what is your favorite bur-

Who needs Coachella when summer blockbusters are on the brink?

rito shop in San Diego? Destin Daniel Cretton: You’re talking my language. Ortiz’s. It’s a small family-owned place, you can’t beat it. I went there straight after the film showing. PW: You were here two weeks ago for the showing of “Short Term 12” in Crill. What was it like being back on campus at Point Loma? DDC: I always have fond memories. I love coming back and seeing spots I used to hang out at. It’s always a little weird, but I had a really wonderful time [at PLNU]. PW: Talking to students, could you picture yourself sitting in those seats years ago when you went here? DDC: I was picturing myself sitting in those seats all night. I remember going to listen to people speak and feeling all nervous. PW: So, you’re currently adapting “The Glass Castle” for film. What is something you are excited for with the project? DDC: I don’t know if there is one thing. The adaptation is something that really resonates with me. It’s this idea of learning to look at life through a different lens, looking at what was once a negative experience and finding the beauty in those difficult portions of life and beauty in a difficult person

in your life. It’s been wonderful to explore in the writing of it. PW: Jeannette Walls’s story is heart-wrenching and, at times, tough to read. Do you foresee it being a challenge to capture the essence of her personal experiences through film? DDC: It’s always a challenge, a daily challenge. Her story is so big and there is so much in it and so much in the book. Any time you’re adapting to a movie, it’s a challenge to squeeze everything in the movie and create new things to make those sequences make sense. The reason people connect to [Walls’s] story is because it’s so open and honest about the harsh realities of being in a family with all of its complexities and seeing the love within a family from its wonderful, beautiful, adventurous side, to its really hard side. To me, it’s something I connected with so much. I hope we can get close writing the film. PW: Are there any specific scenes or dialogue that you connected with? DDC: I love the way that humor and tragedy are interwoven throughout. It does get quite dark, but the characters are so interesting and funny and, beneath all the craziness, there is a lot of love. PW: Are you heavily involved in casting?

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revolutionize filmmaking; I just want to live a simple life. PW: Speaking of a simple life, it has probably been a whirlwind year for you. DDC: Yeah, there has been a lot of traveling while trying to write this draft. It’s busy, but good. I’m getting resettled back in LA now. It’s mellowing out now to where I’m still able to have breathing time and figure out what else to start writing. PW: If you had one weekend off, what would that ideally look like for you? DDC: I’d probably go back home to Maui and hang out with the family and go to the beach. I always have to take trip to Hana, which is remote and lush and jungle-y. There is something special about that part of the island. PW: What is one piece of advice for students here interested in film making or just beginning their careers? DDC: Don’t forget that it’s only make-believe. Sometimes we get stressed about our futures and we forget about having fun in the moment. But those moments are a large part of the creative process. Also, whether or not you surf, try to spend as much time next to that beautiful ocean you have while you can.

Look out for these summer films

dinary cast promises a quality film: May 2 Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Anna Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone Paquin, Jennifer Lawrence, and and Jamie Foxx return for the second James McAvoy to name a few. To those of you jeal- installment of the Spider-Man story. ous of the lucky concert- B.J. Novak (The Office) co-stars. 4. Maleficent goers who visited the May 30 music mecca for two 2. Godzilla This new take on “Sleeping Beauweekends in April, there May 16 ty” focuses on the villain from the are many outstanding San Francisco and New York City: 1959 film. Why did she curse the baby and hyped-up films set watch out, an enormous, skyscraper- in the childhood classic? Find out, as to be released this sum- demolishing monster is on the loose Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning star. mer that will ease your yet again. Bryan Cranston and Elizadespair. So, forget that beth Olsen star in this re-make of the 5. The Fault in Our Stars you missed Pharrell Wil- 1998 original. June 6 liams’s singing “Happy” From the popular book by John or Beck wearing a bob3. X-Men: Days of Future Green comes the film interpretation, ble-head mask on stage, Past following a teenage cancer patient and check out these May 23 who falls in love with a boy whose films coming out soon: The X-Men team, in hopes of cancer is in remission. “Stars” is a altering history for mutants, sends tale of young love starring Shailene Wolverine back in time. An X-traor- Woodley and Ansel Elgort.

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DDC: Everything is a team effort, but that is a huge part of the job. I’ll work with the casting director and producer for those roles. But we’re still writing it right now. PW: Does Walls have to ‘okay’ everything as you write? What is that working relationship like? DDC: She’s been really lovely. When the script is done, she’ll be one of the first to read it. PW: Are you nervous for that moment? DDC: Oh yeah. PW: Walls was on campus in February for the Writers Symposium. As she spoke, the audience continuously nodded their heads at what she said. It seemed like they really connected. DDC: It’s pretty universal. There are probably not too many people who have had an experience as extreme, but it’s quite relatable to people. Most people I talk to have an experience in their lives that, when they read it in the book, they think ‘Oh, that’s me.’ PW: During the Symposium, Walls said, “Destin Daniel Cretton is going to revolutionize filmmaking.” How do you respond to those admiring words? DDC: I think that’s just silly. I think a lot of her; we can really connect as people. I have no intention to

SENIOR CELEBRATION MAY 8 @ 5:45 p.m. Seniors, pick up your free ticket at the Alumni House. Friends and Family can purchase tickets from the alumni office web page.

monday, april 28, 2014 | the point weekly

sports

SPORTS | 13

UPCOMING EVENTS

5/3: Baseball vs. Academy of Art (DH) 5/4: Baseball vs. Academy of Art (DH) 5/1-3: Track & Field @ NCCAA National Championships

PLNU alum talks baseball

SEA LION SCORES

BY KELSON BOYER

Baseball

ALUMNI CONTRIBUTOR

There are few times of the year that signify the beginning of something special. Every Dec. 1 we start counting the days until Christmas and in late June, we start a savings account for fireworks. But, when the flowers start to bloom and the snow starts to melt, we can look forward to the scent of something other than your grandmother’s honeysuckle plants: hot dogs and crackerjacks. Yes, that’s right, baseball season. Spring training has come to a close and the first 25 games are underway so it’s time to see what we have to look forward to. Teams like the Kansas City Royals and the Milwaukee Brewers are going to want to bounce back from a tough year, while they did manage to show upsides near the end of last year’s season. Both National League and American League teams out west, the Anaheim Angels and the San Francisco Giants, are hoping to get a bit more of that late-season pizzazz this year as both teams shuttered in the final 40 games. The Boston Red Sox who won the World Series last year are obviously hopeful for a repeat, but good luck; the NL East is going to be a tough racket. And let’s not forget about teams like the Braves, Detroit and oh, the Toronto Blue Jays (yes, they still have a team).

• 4/25 Loss 1-5, Win 7-0 vs. Dixie State (DH) • 4/26 Loss 4-6, Loss 3-2 vs. Dixie State

Track & Field • 4/25-4/26, 4th @ PacWest conference In fact, Toronto believes they have a shot at winning the whole kit-n-caboodle. With pickups like Jose Reyes and the additions to their pitching staff, look for the Blue Jays to make a strong run at the playoffs, and possibly beyond. Even the San Diego Padres made off-season moves to improve on a 7686 record in their 2013 season. And while the loss of Adrian Gonzalez may still be a stinger for some Padres fans, look for their young pitching staff to push them deeper in the NL West. And let’s not forget about the team in Atlanta who goes by the name of the Braves who— by the way—aren’t too shabby either. From picking up B.J. Upton, to the return of Jayson Heyward in his junior campaign, the Braves look to be a strong contender for the trophy, ring, and multiple gold gloves. Are you beginning to smell the bacon? Or should I say Dodger Dogs?

Speaking of, the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to be strong and that’s being modest. With a Yankee’s late 90’s star-studded lineup, look for the Dodgers to have a big season and strong run in the playoffs. But, they will have their hands full with the Giants and Cardinals, who both look to have better seasons than their previous ones. No matter who your team is, the beginning of every season not only brings sunshine and warm weather, it also brings hope. Even for you Miami Marlins fans out there. A breath of light may shine on your humid and afternoon-rained climate, and team. While it’s impossible to tell which players and teams will make a name for themselves in the year-long hunt for a World Series ring, at least we know we can count on baseball being on all day and night until October.

championships

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

SOLIAANA FAAPOULI & EMILY LOOGMAN

Season summaries for concluding spring spor ts TRACK & BASEBALL MEN’S GOLF WOMEN’S TENNIS FIELD TENNIS This weekend, the women’s track and field team competes in the PacWest Championship in Fresno. Following that, 15 girls are competing in the NCCAA championship this Tuesday in Georgia. The team is very young, having only three girls finish with their eligibility for the upcoming season. However, they have been successful and strong as a team this season, even with drastic changes, such as the men’s team being cut. “We have missed the men and what they have always brought to the program,” says Coach Jerry Arvin. “But the girls have united and moved forward doing the very best they can. We just want the following years to continue to get better.”

With two weeks and four games left in the season, the baseball team has high hopes to finish strong. Currently, the team is sitting in sixth place, but with an 11-13 conference record, they are just three games away from third place. Although the team has endured obstacles such as multiple injured players in the past four weeks, they are still hopeful for the upcoming NCCAA conference championship. “We have had a very up and down year and we have lost some close games,” says Coach Joe Schaefer, “but we are still battling to make the NCCAA playoffs and hope to have a strong finish to qualify.”

Two weeks ago, the PLNU men’s tennis team wrapped up their 7-17 season with a win and two losses in the PacWest conference championship. The team struggled particularly in their away games and had some difficulty maintaining any winning streaks. The team did have a few notable victories, including a lateseason 6-3 victory against the UC San Diego Tritons. Moving into next year, the team will be led by a new coach, still undecided, in the wake of long-time coach Rich Hills.

This year the women’s golf team finished their season successfully, taking fourth place at the PacWest Championship in Hawaii. The squad was large this season, and will continue to be next season, which will increase the competition for top spots on the roster. Averaging at a tournament score of 320, next year’s goal is to score below 310. The team is very young, only in its third season. This means that next year, three founding members of the team will graduate through the golf program. “Consistency is the key to our success,” says Coach Jacqui McSorely, “and I’m hoping we can have a strong tournament team with three players at the top of the roster, shooting 75 or less. The future looks bright.”

The women’s tennis team finished their season at .500 with a record of 13-13. The team played very well over the course of the season, but had trouble in a few key games that kept their season from really taking off. They had a solid roster where the no. four had five players were very close in skill to the team’s top players, allowing the a lot of sucess in the lower brackets. The team was able to secure two victories against Fresno Pacific over the course of the semester, a team that they had never beaten before this year. Coming out of coach Rich Hills’ final season, the team as a lot to look forward to in the next season, despite the difficulty of saying goodbye to the long-time tennis coach.

Compiled by Olivia Stafford

the point weekly | monday, april 28, 2014

14 | SPORTS

Q&A with NCCAA All-American Hayden Lescault

BY TAVIS ROBERTSON STAFF WRITER

The Point Weekly: You’ve earned a variety of different honors including being named a first team NCCAA all-American, as well as being a multiple time PacWest Player of the week. How do you get to that point in your basketball career?

Hayden Lescault: I got to this point in my career by putting in hard work in the gym daily. Basketball has been a big part of my life since I was five years old and I have always loved going to the gym to try to expand my game. My Dad played a big part in helping make me the player I am today; he was my first basketball coach and he has mentored me through my

whole career. I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today in my career without the support and work ethic that he has shown me. PW: Can you speak a bit on your experience of playing on this team - what that means to you over your time here at PLNU? HL: I love this team. We are like a band of brothers that really care for each other on and off the court. Having a tight knit group really helped us win so many games this year. Everyone wanted to win for each other and thats what helped us go so far this year. I’ve been at Point Loma for four years now and my relationship with the coaching staff has really grown as well.” PW: Being a college athlete has got to be difficult. Not only do you have school, but you’ve got the responsibilities of a full time athlete thrown in the mix. What are some of the challenges that come with that? HL: It gets extremely hard at times to balance your class load and

basketball. With the two hours of practice everyday, then the weight room, then the extra work that you have to put in on your own if you want to be an elite player and homework; it gets hard to fit that all in one day. Some sacrifices have to be made in order to accomplish everything you need to for the day. PW: And when you do find some free time in your schedule, is basketball something that you still like to do just for fun, or do you find yourself taking that time to do something else? HL: Basketball has always been extremely fun to me ever since I was a little kid. If I have spare time you can pretty much count on me to spend it playing basketball because its what I love to do. In the off season I look for pick up games all over San Diego to go to, whether it be at UCSD, USD, Point Loma, or the local rec center; I’m always trying to find a spot to play. PW: How did you end up here

at PLNU? HL: I came down to San Diego in high school for a tournament and one of the coaches came to a couple of my games. I played well in the tournament and our team ended up winning it and Point Loma started to recruit me pretty hard after that. They ended up offering me a scholarship and it seemed like a good fit for me and I took it. I’m glad I did too. PW: Basketball has clearly been a big part of your life up to this point. Do you see this as something you’ll pursue after graduation? HL: I’m definitely going to try to pursue playing basketball after my college career is over. I would love to play this game as long as I’m able to. It has been a dream of mine ever since I was in kindergarten to play professional basketball and I think I have a shot of making that happen. I want it so bad, and that is one of my motivating factors that drives me to work hard every day.

THIS WEEK IN THE OCEAN BY WILL FRYE SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR

Early last week there was a fun mix of swells in the water. I surfed at Ab and had a fun couple of sessions with head high wind swell and clean, warm conditions. Over the weekend a storm moved through and things were blown

out for the most part. As we move toward finals week, expect cleaner conditions and fun waves. There will be modest sized swells of almost every kind in the water (wind swell, northwest swell, and south swell) and some clean conditions depending on the specific day. If you are planning on procrasti-

nating and going surfing, it will definitely be worth a look. According to several sources, there are halibut to be found in the shallows right now. They must be spawning a little bit late, but they started to show up a few weeks ago according to some divers I know. We might see a day or two of low-

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

A D V A N C I N G

C A R E E R S

swell conditions and if you go out in the morning before it gets windy, you might score good visibility. For those of you staying on campus this summer, enjoy. I pray that you may have many days of solid south swell and good visibility for spearfishing. As for myself, I am sadly graduating and moving away from the ocean. I

will probably never live as close to the ocean as I do now, and my surfing will only get worse. My words of wisdom to those who may read this column: take advantage of where we live. Have a good week in the ocean!

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PHOTO COURTESY OF PLNU SPORTS INFORMATION The women’s track and field team competed in the PacWest conference championships, placing 4th in the meet.

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indwes.edu PHOTO COURTESY OF PLNU SPORTS INFORMATION Men’s Baseball played in two concecutive double headers against Dixie State on Friday and Saturday.

monday, april 28, 2014 | the point weekly

opinion

OPINION | 15

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.

An open letter to the university: Things are changing. We, the editorial board of the Point Weekly, are all seniors. We are journalists who work to represent the voice of all students and who have been trained to observe our surroundings and report the best attainable truth. We are honored to play the role of watchdog on behalf of the PLNU community. But we are also students. We are students, who have spent four years here, living in the dorms, taking general education courses, interacting with our peers, learning to navigate new found independence and also trying to follow the rules and respect the university’s great mission. So with that call to try to comprehend everything that occurs at PLNU, but also with the greatest amount of experience one can hold as

an undergraduate, we feel it is time to voice our own opinions about the future of this great institution. The class of 2014 has seen the university go through many changes: Liberty station opened its doors to general education classes. Residence halls on campus now house both men and women together. Students can no longer expect four years of on-campus housing . The class sizes are larger now. More online classes are offered than when we came in. The new science center is a reality for those who will follow in our footsteps. The athletic department has joined the coveted NCAA. Dances now happen on campus. The list goes on. All this to say, we’re looking for a

common denominator. What do all of these things have in common? Why did we have no idea these things would happen when we signed up to come here? What do these changes mean to the PLNU experience for those who come after us? How we found this place is definitely not how we’ll be leaving it. But as editorial board members and as senior students, we’re asking why. And we’re offering up our feelings. Why does residential life now feel so fragmented? Why does it feel like we don’t get as much ownership over our own experience anymore, like whether we take classes on a computer or in a classroom or where we’ll live. Why does it feel like the only way we find these things out are through last minute emails or after the fact?

Why doesn’t the university ask our opinions? We may be young, but we are the reason this place exists. What is a university without its students? We’re not looking to compile a list of complaints; we’re just hoping to encourage our campus leaders to refocus. Who are we? What are our goals? How do we want our students to feel? We do not want PLNU to simply survive. We want it to thrive. And that’s how it feels right now. It feels like PLNU is changing with the times, but that we aren’t being invited to come along. Instead, we’re running to catch up. It’s hard to make sense of a lot of things changing so quickly. And it doesn’t matter to us as individuals, because we’ll leave, and those who

follow us won’t know any different. But we are the very people this university strives to teach, shape and send. We want to make our voices known. We want to know where this university is headed on behalf of the students of the future. We all picked this university for a reason, but many of those reasons are in limbo right now, and that’s not comforting for those looking for reasons to come here. We have confidence in you, but now it’s time for you to have confidence in us. Sincerely, The Point Weekly editors

Prioritization: time to get talking BY OLIVIA NEIDHART SOPHOMORE CONTRIBUTOR

I do not believe that prioritization is bad, but I truly believe that how the administration is handling prioritization is bad. There are a great number of changes that have happened in the past year or are in the process of happening. Unfortunately, we as the student body know very little about these changes or why. Instead of having an open dialogue about seniors not being able to live on campus next year, the administration decided to send not-so-happy emails notifying the class of 2015 of these changes. I pray that our administra-

tion does not handle prioritization the same way. Receiving an email either during finals week or during summer vacation, telling us about the cuts that were made would be a nightmare. Keeping the whole prioritization process a secret raises eyebrows. I do not think that the administration is doing anything shady, but if a vow of silence is taken and we are shut out completely, there isn’t much else to believe. With majors possibly on the line, President Brower, along with the other administrators, need to increase their communication with PLNU students. This is an extremely difficult deci-

sion to make, I know, which is why the administration asked for another week to finalize these cuts, but this information should have come from our administrators, not my professor. We do not need to know every detail, but a nice little note, email or announcement in chapel saying something along the lines of “Prioritization is a difficult process and we are trying to make the most net-beneficial decisions possible. In order to do this, we need another week to finalize these cuts, thank you for your patience” would have been nice. These changes are going to shape and transform the next few years at PLNU, I am eager to see what changes are being made. I definitely do not

envy the individuals that have to make the decisions to cut some programs and other expenses, but I do want to know what exactly is being cut, why and what this will mean for the future of PLNU. I propose a simple way for the administration to increase its immediate communication with students while letting us know the specifics of prioritization. This finals week, President Brower should host an open forum in Brown Chapel one night to let us, the student body and future of PLNU, know about the decisions that he and his peers made. I think it would be beneficial for the entire campus to have this open, honest information

session about the decisions that were made that directly affect us all. If PLNU is a community, then the students shouldn’t be shut out. Olivia Neidhart is a sophomore sociology major. She is on the debate team and loves to eat and go on fun adventures. Restaurant hopping is one of the greatest things for her to do, especially in such a food-rich city as San Diego. Olivia has started a facebook page title “Increase Communication at PLNU” in hope of finding students to join her cause.

Easter: My journey and a conversation with John Wright BY ARTHUR SHINGLER FRESHMAN CONTRIBUTOR

It’s Easter, or just after, and I wonder why we celebrate it. “He is risen” and “#indeed” littered my Facebook on the 20th and I restrained myself from posting a snarky but genuine “does it matter?” Why is there such a strong focus on Christ’s death and alleged resurrection when the rest of his teachings the rest of the year seem so much more important? Again I ask: does it matter? And, if so, what does it mean? In pursuit of a thoughtful response, I spoke with professor of theology and Christian scriptures John Wright, who, it turns out, has clearly thought about the subject before. Wright waits for me in the courtyard East of Rohr Social Science at a metal table in blue morning shade, birds chirp invisibly yet not inaudibly in the green behind us. John sits calmly with a black computer at his chest

and sips on a diet cola. “The game is afoot,” he cryptically remarks. “What game?” I ask. “Finals.” I laugh in agreement, and match him in posture, easing into what will be a very interesting conversation. We begin by discussing what, at its heart, Easter is about. I bring up the well-distributed notion of celebrating Easter because “Jesus died for our sins.” “Well that’s a sick thing to do,” John remarks. My thoughts, exactly. As I often ruminate on this subject, a quote from Dostoevsky’s “The Brother Karamazov” comes to mind. At the conclusion of a monologue asserting that suffering of the innocent is too high a price for “harmony,” Ivan Karamazov, one of three brothers, promises this: “And so I hasten to give back my entrance ticket [to heaven] and if I am an honest man I am bound to give it back as soon as possible. And that I am doing. It’s not God that I don’t accept,

Alyosha, only I most respectfully return him the ticket.” Ivan’s spiritual martyrdom is honorable to say the least, and certainly the paradox of Christ’s suffering is not, and perhaps cannot be solved. I asked John about this. “Easter is not about the crucifixion of Jesus per se. If the Easter is about the crucifixion of Jesus, one has taken the heart out of the Gospel. You cannot separate the crucifixion of Jesus from the resurrection. Nor can you separate the resurrection from the crucifixion. [If you think that way], Jesus becomes a function for one’s own self-gain.” But what about the ungodly suffering of this supremely innocent individual? Ivan’s distress over God’s apparently perverted display of costbenefit analysis, taking a human life in such a way for such an end is valid one, and one I sympathize with greatly if not adopt as my own. “If you read the New Testament early Christian documents,” John of-

fers, “it’s not so much on Jesus suffering, or not his physical suffering, but it is on the shame. The social disgrace, the identification with people who are seen as the refuse of humanity.” But this identification is what makes Jesus’ suffering so unbearable to both Ivan and myself, at least if it is used as a means by God to allow salvation. Granted, Wright did mention “you cannot separate the crucifixion of Jesus from the resurrection.” Now I can’t speak about this topic without mentioning at least once that I’m absolutely uncertain that there ever was a resurrection. Let’s see what John has to say: “[I]f Christ was not raised from the dead, we of all people are to be pitied.” I’m curious. Wright explains that “in the resurrection of Jesus we see that our lives have a significance that goes beyond now that frees us to do what’s true and good and beautiful rather than what is merely there to grab for power and vantage [here on Earth].

Life-after-life. Wright is saying that the resurrection is not only a confirmation of Jesus’ claim to faith, but it shows us that “death is not the final word.” “And so, life matters,” he says, “The life of the poorest child in-utero, the life of the Ukrainian or Russian soldiers on the border of Ukraine. The life of the poorest person in Africa, or Haiti. Those matter. Life matters. We’re free to work for life without using the tools of death.” I left this conversation enlightened, if not more or less still troubled. Although not all of my questions were answered (some of them truly can’t be) Wright showed me a less sadistic Christian view of Eater, one that ends where I like to think the year begins: with Life, and new beginnings. Arthur Shingler is a freshman philosophy major. He likes to play guitar, listen to records, make coffee and watch movies.

the point weekly | monday, april 28, 2014

16 | OPINION

Fa rewell wo rd s fro m yo u r ed i to ri a l sta f f Abby Hamblin - Editor-In-Chief Over four years, I have observed this Loma universe with a “healthy skepticism,” as we journos like to call it. As editor, my goal was to seek the beautiful and terrifying truth. What I found was that PLNU is changing. But so is the U.S. and the world. You’d think we millennials would’ve taken notice. Interestingly, this year we had the least passionate opinion section in my four years. But at the end of the year, I’m hoping that students ARE seeing that change is going to come, so we might as well start getting involved. It’s not too late to buckle down

and start studying. PLNU has taught me doubt and worry but also support and trust. You will find that help will always be given at PLNU to those who ask for it. You don’t need to know everything about cyberterrorism or who to vote for in 2016 (yet), but you do need to ask questions. If you aren’t uncomfortable during college, you’re doing it wrong. PLNU taught me to that you’ll never know what you truly believe until you learn what you don’t believe. So fellow students, raise your voice. It’s the freest and most powerful tool we’ve got.

Kimberly Miller - Features Editor The soft glow from my computer screen was the only light by which I navigated the shoveling of cereal from the bowl to my mouth. Two in the morning on a Friday I sat alone at my kitchen table, interrupted only by the sounds of Frosted Flakes crunching and fingers punching away at the keyboard. In that late night/early morning stillness, while editing countless stories, I learned a skill that many journalists miss — the art of listening. As Features Editor I asked many questions and provided stellar answers but I also learned how to listen. I am proud of the results that listening produced. In Features, we told

stories of importance, relevance and out right fun. I am proud of what we did. We did silly when we stalked behind bushes investigating the feral cat endemic. We did reminiscent when we talked politics with an alumnus who piloted Marine One on the day that President John F. Kennedy was killed. We did hipster when we sipped coffee with small business owners. We did justice as we illuminated issues of immigration, crime and mental illness. Thank you for reading, for sharing your stories and for engaging with us in conversation. I’ve enjoyed listening and I hope you have too.

Tavis Robertson - Sports Editor Hello, readers. It’s been quite the year, hasn’t it? A lot has happened, and I suppose a lot more could happen in the next week, but I really just think it’s crazy that it’s all almost over. Around this time last year, I was offered the editing position on this paper, and all I can remember is not knowing what it would be like, or how much work I’d have to do. Now, I’m sad it is all over. Sure, it’s a lot of work, and sure I’m excited for some time off, but I really think I’m going to miss this. All of this is to say that this year has been great, and that is in no small

part due to the wonderful editing staff I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and of course, you. I am sad to say that because of scheduling next year (as in I won’t be here for the first half), I have to step down from my position. I am happy to say, however, that I’m certain I am leaving it in capable hands. Next year’s Sports Editor, Louis Schuler, has been bringing you great sports news all semester, and is in my opinion completely ready for the challenges of this position. It’s been a great run, guys. Have a wonderful year, and always remember to raise hell. But not that hell.

Amy Williams - News Editor

I’m the kind of girl that likes to think about how each decision is going to make me feel in the long run. How am I going to feel about coming to this school when I walk across the stage on May 10? How am I going to feel about choosing journalism? I can’t know how I’m going to feel in a few days, a few months or

a few years but right now I’m pretty happy with my decisions. Being at this school and going through the experiences that I’ve gone through has taught me something…that I matter. And the reason that I matter is because I am created with a passion that people I come across don’t really have. I care about what other people have to say. Listening to others is honestly one of my favorite things to do. So am I happy right now about being a journalist? Well… sometimes I’m not. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t spending my Sunday nights putting together a headline or editing a story but that moment is quickly taken over by the immense pride and pleasure that I take in serving this community and informing you all. I love what I’ve done here and I don’t believe I would ever regret this decision.

Guimel Sibingo - Opinion Editor

When I think about what I have learned as an opinion editor this year, I think about how every voice is important. Too many times, as students, we feel like we don’t have a voice. We feel like what we have to say won’t cause any impact or even worse, may cause problems or backlash. But I say this: What will the world miss if your voice is not heard? When I came to PLNU four years ago, I thought I didn’t have

a voice. It was only after discovering journalism my junior year that I found a way through which I could contribute my voice to this campus. What I have to say and the issues I am passionate about don’t always sow peace, sometimes they sow discourse but what I have learned is that no matter how controversial one’s voice is, all sides should always be heard. I encourage you as a fellow student to make your voice be heard. Maybe you are upset about the situation in the Ukraine or you want justice for Syrians. Maybe you are tired of how athletes aren’t appreciated or how what women wear is constantly being scrutinized (those yoga pants, right?!). Whatever is on your heart to say, say it. Send in your opinion pieces; make your voice be heard. Your voice may affect thousands on our campus or just one person, either way it will be of most value

Lara Khodanian - Design Editor

Kathleen Rhine - Arts & Entertainment Editor I used to hate country music and pretend that I didn’t like Top 40. These past four years at this wonderful institution and my time on The Point Weekly staff have been formative in countless ways: I now have country songs on my iPod and am not ashamed to say that I have drive loops around campus just to finish listening to Katy Perry’s “Roar” on the radio. As the Arts and Entertainment editor this year, I have also been honored to share in the artistic and musical talents of students, whether at Lomapalooza, one of the many theatre productions, an off-campus art show, a Spit-It competition in the ARC, or

a student film project. The talent at PLNU is astounding. I have loved witnessing the mix of art and music and story. It isn’t just about the events or the awards or the popularity, it is about what drives you all as artists — and that is what I love about this job. The stress has been real, the coffee cups endless, but the reward everso-great. Upon graduation, I shall attempt to decrease my caffeine intake and continue attending concerts (maybe even country ones).

Instead of boring you with how fun and incredibly difficult this school year was, how about I share a few delights of life that you also should try. Eating Takis, going to the Sunset Cliffs beach at sunset, spending a quiet sunday in the calm and chilli streets of Vienna, Aus-

tria, wrapped up in a coat and scarf. Stepping on the crunchy leaves on caf lane, finding the secret spots of PLNU, playing ping-pong and foosball and best of all, having your bed be a fort all year long with twinkly lights inside.