Volume 45, issue 3 by LomaBeat.com

The Point student newspaper of point loma nazarene university

monday, february 8, 2016

Features, page 3

volume 45 | issue 3

A&E, page 5

Sports, page 6

Surfing After a Storm: What the Experts Say

PHOTO BY JONATHAN SOCH A surfer makes his way through seaweed as he enters the water off Sunset Cliffs.

Opinion, page 8

BY VICTORIA E. DAVIS

STAFF WRITER

After last week’s stormy weather hit San Diego, it is now safe enough to get back into the water. For veteran surfers the waiting period following a storm is well known, but some might ask, why wait? What are the dangers of surfing after a storm? According to Kiana Fores, who has surfed for 14 years and is a member of PLNU’s Surf Team, surfing after a storm is more likely to put a surfer in even more danger than surfing during a storm. Despite the storm last Sunday forcing the surf team to cancel their weekend competition, PLNU surfers were back the next day to ride the tides. According to PLNU Biology Professor, David Cummings, people who still surfer after storms are risking serious health threats and could even die. “When it rains in Southern California, the concrete, asphalt and hard soil don’t allow the water to be absorbed into the ground,” Cummings said. “It runs off the ground and as it flows it picks up every imaginable pollutant and sends it straight to the ocean.” Cummings said pollutants like pesticides, fertilizers, car fluids, trash and even human and animal feces are what get washed into the water. He added that many of these pollutants are resistant to drugs that are normally used to fight them off. “Even road-kill ends up in the water,” said Fores, who said she got sick from surfing right after a storm during a surfing contest in Tijuana last summer. “I was throwing up a lot and couldn’t eat normally for ten days. It was awful.” Andrew Niemann, a member of PLNU’s surf team, said he got a sinus infection from surfing after a storm. Surfing after a storm can even carry a risk of death and in January 2015, ABC News reported that award winning surfer Barry Ault died from a staph infection

More on Loma Beat!

from surfing in polluted water at Sunset Cliffs. “Beaches along cliffs and rivermouths get especially gross after a storm because of all the pollutants they harbor,” said PLNU Freshman Tristan Curnow, who has been surfing since the age of eight. “Sometimes you just surf at your own risk.” Fores said that sharks are more active after a storm as well. “The water is so murky and they are looking for dead animals they don’t have to chase to eat,” Fores said. “Sharks are naturally very lazy creatures.” Aside from contaminating the water, storms also can make conditions more attractive for surfers according to Curnow. “The soil that gets washed into the ocean makes for better sand bars and bottom contour conditions which make for really nice waves,” Curnow said. “I have surfed after a storm many times and have never gotten sick, so I just keep doing it.” Niemann said that there are ways to prevent getting sick from surfing after a storm. “Taking lots of showers and flushing out your nose immediately after is the best bet,” Niemann said. “Ultimately, though you need a good immune system.” Fores said that it’s more than good waves that draw surfers to after-storm waters. “It’s just so calm and serene,” Fores said. “The sky is different and the water feels alive. It’s just different…more appetizing.” David Cummings says that a good rule of thumb is to wait 72 hours before entering the water, but most surfers use a different measurement. “If the waves are good I’m going to surf,” Curnow said. “It takes more than a possible infection to keep us die-hard surfers out of the water.”

Convergence with spiritual renewal’s Tim Green BY PHILLIP WARD

STAFF WRITER

From his childhood ambitions, to lofty theological conjectures to candid musings on single life, Convergence on Thursday night was a time to get to know Renewal Week speaker Dr. Tim Green. Convergence is set up as a time for students to “Discuss how our passions and gifts can serve God vocationally no matter our future occupations,” according to the Convergence webpage. Thursday night had the feel of a couple of old friends discussing life over hot beverages. Only it was a group of young college students talking to a man

with his P.h.D in religion from Vanderbilt University, the author of many books and the head of the School of Religion at Trevecca Nazarene University. Green shared how his journey to becoming a Chaplain and university professor began after his dreams of being a pediatrician were crushed by an atrocious chemistry teacher in high school. Instead, he decided to pursue a graduate degree in religion and did not attend seminary straight after graduation, which was, considered rebellious. Most people, especially in the Nazarene denomination, who wanted to be pastors were expected to attend seminary after their undergraduate studies. “I think we act, a lot of times, on a

Holy hunch. Which is, trying to obey God and trying to be faithful and then just making a decision,” said Green. The decision not to attend seminary was heavily influenced by the recent death of his father and ended up getting Green his first job teaching, which turned into a lifelong passion. Green moved back to Nashville after his father’s passing to be closer to the rest of his family. Not wanting to give up on his studies, he applied to a graduate program at Vanderbilt University and received a P.h.D. in religion. “I am beginning to believe that sometimes a calling is an afterthought,” said Green when reflecting on how he got to where he is today.

Green explained how, while seeming rather ordinary and insignificant at the time, you can get to the end of life and see a very clear calling on the things you have done. In a more vulnerable moment Green shared with us how being single has affected his life. He told us that “it just never happened,” and that he didn’t feel called to be single but acknowledged that, “maybe a call to be single is when you die and have never gotten married.” Green also shared his opinion on how Christian and theology majors can best be prepared for the real world. In his own experience he had seen a lot of rough transitions of young graduates into parish settings, especially in church-

es with a large elderly population. “How do you just not go in and say, the first week, hey I’m just going to rip your theology apart and tell you what I’ve learned at a great school,” said Green. He advised recent graduates to acknowledge that, “theology is at the service of the church,” and to not try and assert their dominance but instead, adopt a spirit of serving and trust that God will do the rest. The final words that Green left us with were, “go and co-create with God.”

the point | monday, february 8, 2016

2 | NEWS

Spiritual Renewal Week’s Impact on Point Loma’s Campus BY SAVANAH DUFFY

STAFF WRITER

Spiritual Renewal Week is meant for students to seek and embrace spiritual growth and faith restoration, but some students may also begrudge the closed coffee shop, cafeteria and library during chapel hours. According to the Director of Chaplaincy Ministries, Tim Whetstone, Spiritual Renewal Week should be a time not of “resignation,” but of “hopeful anticipation” to see God move. One of the topics discussed among students like Sarah Pyle during Spiritual Renewal Week is the impact that it has on students’ spiritual growth. “I personally think it’s a great idea, but for the most part, it seemed like a hassle for many students. Mostly because everything was closed, even the library,” says junior, biochemistry major

Pyle. Spiritual Renewal Week this semester was focused primarily on the “outward expressions of an inward transformation” according to Whetstone. Whetstone said the theme is intended to be a framework for the speaker of the week to connect his or her message to the overall theme of 2015-2016: “Way. Truth. Life.” Freshman and applied health science major Benjamin Godoy said he believes that Renewal Week is effective for students who attend chapel and the activities, but the issue is getting people to go. PLNU Junior Connor Mathisen holds a similar view. “It’s not gonna be a Spiritual Renewal Week for the community of Point Loma if the community of Point Loma doesn’t show up to the events,” said Mathisen.

Whetstone said that for students to get the most out of Spiritual Renewal Week, he believes it requires a “shift of posture” and not merely being resigned to tolerate the week. For some students, Renewal Week impacted them the most during their freshman year of PLNU. Senior and literature major Alexa Allen says that she had just transferred from Biola University when she experienced Spiritual Renewal Week. With it occurring a few weeks after her arrival, she felt that it was a welcome to the school and a way of “inviting (her) back to the church.” For Mathisen, his freshman year of Spiritual Renewal Week was one factor that made him change his major because it provided him with a time of prayer and reflection. Whetstone shared a similar experience of a PLNU student two years ago,

who had been praying at the altar during Renewal Week and felt a confirmation from God to change her major. While some students felt greatly impacted by Spiritual Renewal Week, other students felt that they were being forced to attend. Allen said if students chose to think of the week as a time to “step away from academics…and invest (their) whole being into the chapel, the week, and the events, then they would get more out of it.” But to Allen, it must be recognized that students need to make the decision to invest in chapel, and that something like spiritual growth must be done willingly. Godoy said that for Renewal Week to be more effective for students, they need to have a desire to attend chapel and not be or feel coerced to go. Whetstone believes that renewal is something not to be forced into.

Senior Hannah Andrade says that for her, Spiritual Renewal Week is effective when the speaker is someone who can connect with students. “Forcing [students] to be there by shutting down the caf and library won’t change their attitude,” said Andrade via text message. “The speaker is the key.” The speaker for the week was Tim Green, who has spoken and taught in various countries in Eastern Europe. Green said that his biggest desire for Spiritual Renewal Week was that his speaking at PLNU would become part of what God is already doing. Green’s desire is that students “wouldn’t only believe [faith in Jesus], but they would begin to imagine what it looks like for themselves to actually participate in it.”

Military: changes to trauma training BY AUTUMN SHULTZ

STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR USER 807TH MEDICAL COMMAND (DEPLOYMENT SUPPORT) Army members train on a dummy in Columbus, Ohio on July 9.

As of last January, animal testing in the US military is restricted to only a few areas—one of which is combat trauma training. Justin Goodman, President of PETA’s division for animal testing, described the training as a series of “exercises where live animals are shot in their limbs, abdomen, and face, stabbed, and are blown up to teach people how to repair wounds.” PETA provided a recent video of goats being used in training procedures saying the animals’ movements while their limbs were chopped off indicated consciousness and pain. But Dr. Thomas J. Poulton, a Pediatric Intensivist and Anesthesiologist at Alaska Native Medical Center said the anesthesia administered makes it so the animals don’t feel anything while they’re under. “The anesthetic management in the videos wasn’t skillful or elegant,” said Poulton. He believed the anesthesia was primarily done so the goats would not experience pain. Poulton explained that even human beings, when lightly anesthetized as the goats appear to be, make similar movements and sounds; however, as humans don’t experience pain while under anesthesia, neither, he says, do the animals. Goodman argues that all military

use of animals in research and trauma training is in violation of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) policy, which states that, “Methods other than animal use and alternatives to animal use (i.e., methods to refine, reduce, or replace the use of animals) shall be considered and used whenever possible to attain the objectives of RDT&E or training if such alternative methods produce scientifically or educationally valid or equivalent results.” Instead of animals, Goodman said, the DOD should look to alternatives, namely simulators, that are more effective. “Training to treat battlefield injuries is important, but current practices of mutilating goats and other animals are less effective than training on simulators,” said Goodman. While Poulton doesn’t agree with animal trauma training, he said the process of testing on animals is a complicated “I’m not an animal rights activist,” said Poulton in a phone interview. “I don’t think animals in this culture have rights, but I do respect animals…We [the world] have learned a great deal using animals, so it’s complicated, and not using any animals in research would be a difficult position. There’s room for use in some spheres, but ultimately we should be respectful of animals and ensure that they’re treated humanely.” In trauma training, Poulton said

that his experiences with surgical situations have not demonstrated that former military personnel who underwent animal trauma training were more skilled than those who did not receive the same training. “There are anatomic differences between animals and humans,” said Poulton. “They [doctors who undergo trauma training] typically aren’t better prepared for surgery because they still need to learn human physiologies.” The pressure of working on these animals, Poulton said, isn’t the same as working on a human being when his/ her life is in your hands; instead, the sense of urgency during these procedures is an artificial construct that doesn’t translate to reality. Poulton is a former member of the US Navy and a former anesthesiologist for the San Diego Medical Center. He currently lives in Alaska. Early in his medical career, Poulton dealt with many instances of animal trauma training. His training involved performing common emergency room procedures, such as chest tube placements, tracheostomies, and IV catheters in the animals’ arteries. “Animal training gives a false sense of confidence,” said Poulton, “The best way to learn about humans is through supervised training. This method has stood the test of time as the best way to help patients; everybody’s protected.”

Zika virus means caution for LoveWorks travel BY DARIA SZEPKOUSKI

STAFF WRITER

Eight PLNU students and two leaders in LoveWorks will be headed to Brazil—which is experiencing an outbreak of the Zika Virus that causes one’s muscles to weaken and birth defects for newborn babies. Since the spread of the Zika Virus, Loveworks is taking precautions to make sure everyone within the program is safe. “We monitor news sources broadly

and remain in regular contact with our hosts to keep aware of new and changing health concerns in their areas,” says Brian Becker, the director of international ministries. According to government websites, the Zika virus, is transmitted through mosquitos and is said to be hazardous across the country of Brazil. In a televised interview, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, mentioned that the disease was once a “distant nightmare” but has recently become a “real threat.”

“We will always divert or cancel a trip when our hosts or other sources make it clear that the trip is ill-advised,” Becker said. Currently in Brazil, efforts are being made to combat the virus outbreak by the government who is working on a vaccine, but as of now, mosquito prevention is the best source for safety. “When someone on a team takes ill, their team co-leaders are trained to care for them,” Becker said. “When needed, the host who invited us guides us to a

clinic or hospital for treatment. LoveWorks usually covers all the medical costs and always carries insurance for accidents and emergency care.” The Zika virus not only has the power to affect LoveWork teams abroad, but the programs that are in the United States too because the virus may have reached the United States according to ABC News. ABC News added that five counties in Florida—Broward, Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Lee and Santa Rosa, have all entered a state of emergency because

of the mosquito transmitted virus. “Although Florida’s current nine Zika cases were travel-related, we have to ensure Florida is prepared and stays ahead of the spread of the Zika virus in our state,” Florida Governor Rick Scott told ABC News. If you are traveling and would like to learn more about the Zika Virus in order to precautionary measures, you can call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 800-232-4636

Helping You Help Others Earn Your MFT Degree in San Diego The M.A. in Clinical Psychology: Marriage and Family Therapy program at Azusa Pacific University’s San Diego Regional Center offers the following: Preparation for counseling with individuals, couples, and families Curriculum that integrates spirituality and values Professionally active faculty Aligns with California licensure requirements Finish in two, three, or four years Includes option to become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) with the addition of one course

Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology:

Marriage and Family Therapy

Learn more! Visit apu.edu/mft/. Or contact Jen Jordan at jjordan@apu.edu or (619) 718-9655.

Apply today!

monday, february 8, 2016| the point

FEATURES | 3

features

THINK ON THAT

“Quit letting other people decide who you are.” - Bob Goff, Twitter, Jan. 28

Local look: you know him by his fish tacos

PHOTO COURTESY OF ONELOMBARD.COM Mitch’s Seafood is located near America’s Cup Harbor. BY JESSE OLESON

STAFF WRITER

Adorned with a Padres cap and a green jacket, Mitch Conniff, co-owner of Mitch’s Seafood sits at his desk on the floor above the restaurant. In the corner of the office are three fishing poles leaning up against the wall that leads to the balcony. The balcony overlooks the America’s Cup Harbor that borders Shelter Island. Three of the walls are blank and the other has a plastic replica of a Bluefin Tuna with the jaw of a small shark in its mouth. Since its opening in November of 2008, Mitch’s has been a local spot for fisherman and college student alike. The Point: Could you tell me a little bit about how Mitch’s Seafood came about?

Conniff: Yeah sure. So the owners of the restaurant are myself, and my wife. And there are two other couples, Brian Kiyohara and his wife Viola, and Randy Toussaint and his wife Tracy. They are both longtime Point Loma fisherman and I’ve been a part of the fishing community around here for about 20 years. So we’ve all been working in the area of San Diego for a really long time and realized that this business here was going to be opening up and so we thought we might as well start selling our own fish instead of selling it to somebody else to cook. The Point: How long have you lived in San Diego? Conniff: I’ve lived in San Diego for 18 years. The Point: And where did you grow up? Conniff: I grew up in the bay area,

STUDY ABROAD PHOTO OF THE WEEK

PHOTO COURTESY OF RACHEL DEVINE

San Jose area. The Point: What did the restaurant look like when it first opened? Conniff: It kind of looked like an English tea room to be perfectly honest with you. It was a restaurant before but it was just a completely different seafood place focused on East Coast style seafood with friend clams and that whole thing. Our thing is local seafood from San Diego. So everything we sell here is from Baja or San Diego and that is our focus. The Point: What does a typical day look like for you? Conniff: For me, it really varies a lot. In the summertime I’m usually up around 4. I’ll meet one of the fishing boats that is coming in. We still have working docks over here at Driscoll’s and I like to go meet those guys when they get in and pick my fish directly off

“Nepal is an incredible country. It’s not only beautiful, but resilient as well. The culture here is known for its sincere hospitality. There are temples at almost every intersection, and the city is vibrant. I get to live with a homestay family, and it’s been one of the sweetest parts. If you have the opportunity, I’d encourage everyone to live in another country for a time. It’s a really cool thing to have a family in another part of the world.” Rachel Devine is a junior studying development and social change in Nepal.

the boat. Then from there on out, it’s wherever the business needs me. I’ll either be downstairs cooking or helping customers. The busier it gets I find myself in my office more doing human resource type things and accounts payable. The Point: Do you get a lot of chances to go out fishing? Conniff: I do. My brother is a commercial lobster fisherman. I spend about 10 days commercial tuna fishing in the summer and go recreational fishing about five or six times a year. The Point: You advertise a lot about stewardship of the ocean and local seafood only, could you speak to that? Conniff: A lot of the fish we use is directly off of fisherman still fishing in San Diego. San Diego used to be one of the world’s biggest commercial fleets and it’s not anymore. We fish a lot of lobster here, a lot of sardine and tuna. Part of how we like to look at sustainability is not only protecting the species of fish but also by not using fish that is caught in an environmentally destructive manner, like trawl nets. We also look at the sustainability of the fisherman and try using fish that is caught by working commercial fisherman who are doing the right thing. But in terms of the ocean, we work with a couple groups here in San Diego, the Ocean Discovery Institute which is a local group that takes kids from City Heights and introduces them to the fields of marine sciences. We also work with the San Diego Oceans Foundation and they’ve done some work with Scripps Institute in La Jolla and SeaWorld to release stocks of juvenile Sea Bass into local waters and it is now better than it was 40 or 50 years ago. Any groups that are like that in our local area we try and support in any way that we can. The Point: You mentioned working with a group that also works with SeaWorld. What are your thoughts on all the accusations against them? Conniff: I don’t know enough about it to have an opinion one way or another. From a personal standpoint, it seems to me like killer whales belong in the wild. But, I can speak with authority

that SeaWorld does a lot of great things in our community in regards to protecting marine life and informing people about marine life. The Point: How did the name “Mitch’s” come about? Conniff: Yes, it is my name. For a long time, I wanted to have my own restaurant and if you asked me before we opened this place if I would ever name a restaurant after myself I’d say “Hell no.” It’s not something I would ever do. When we took this place over there was a lady who owned the place and she didn’t have the greatest relationship with a lot of the fisherman around here. We actually operated under her name for about a year but nobody wanted to say “Let’s go to Hudson Bay.” They would say, “Let’s go to Mitch’s place.” So when we did change the name and kind of remodeled the place, the name “Mitch’s Seafood” just kind of stuck. The Point: What’s your favorite thing on the menu? Conniff: I’m a fish taco guy. There’s nothing that says San Diego or Southern California like fish tacos as far as I’m concerned. The Point: What is one of the most memorable customers you’ve had? Conniff: There’s a bunch that pop into my head. There’s this one guy that comes here ever year, every spring. He rides his bike out here from Colorado and he comes in and gets clam chowder. He’s in a town for a week or 10 days and he’s been doing it every year, I think, since we’ve been opened. The Point: What is next for Mitch’s? Conniff: You know, we just want to keep growing. Not so much growing in size or growing our customer base but kind of just growing in terms of how we do things better. We are actually in the process of remodeling our kitchen so that we can expand our menu a bit and offer more raw seafood which is something I love and something that is under-represented down here on the water front.

4 | FEATURES

This week in black history month: February 8th-14th BY JORDAN LIGONS

STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA.ORG Bernard Harris is a former NASA astronaut and the first African American to perform a space walk.

February became officially Black History Month, or National African American History Month, in 1915. According to History.com staff, the annual tradition grew from “Negro History Week,” which was originally in February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass. It is important to understand history; these African Americans were pioneers. They opened the doors for the generations to follow, they created opportunities for themselves when there wasn’t any, and they give all African Americans the one thing that has lacked in throughout Black History—hope. Let’s take a look back through the lens of history to see what monumental events happened for African Americans. February 8, 1986: Oprah Winfrey became the first African American woman to host her own nationally syndicated talk show. February 9, 1995: Dr. Bernard A. Harris became the first African American to walk in space when he was the Payload Commander on the STS-63, the first flight of the Russian-American

joint space program. He logged 198 hours, 29 minutes in space, completed 129 orbits, and traveled over 2.9 million miles, according to NASA. February 10, 1964: After 12 days of debate, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by a vote of 290-130. History.com states that this bill banned any state or public facility or local government from denying access to anyone because of race or ethnic origin. President Lyndon Johnson signed the bill on July 2, 1964 after the Senate passed it with a 73-27 vote, overcoming the Democrats’ 75 day filibuster. February 11, 1990: Nelson Mandela is freed from 27 years behind bars and house arrest. He was sentenced to life in prison for committing sabotage against South Africa’s apartheid government through his radical wing of the African National Congress (ANC) called the Armed Resistance Movement. After gaining his freedom, Mandela became the president of South Africa in 1994 and went on to be a world-renowned hero for peace and social justice. February 12, 1909: The National Association for the Advancement of

Colored People (NAACP) was founded in New York City. The association fought for critical civil rights issues. Through-out there history, they called for federal anti-lynching laws, assisted in the effort of the Brown v. Board of Education trial and successfully lobbied for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Act of 1965. They are still making strides for African Americans today. February 13, 1923: The first black professional basketball team, The New York Renaissance, was organized. According to the NBA Encyclopedia, the “Rens” were pioneers of the game and won championships when they weren’t even officially accepted into the professional league yet. In one season they went 112-7. February 14, 1867: Morehouse College was established in Augusta, Georgia. Later the institution was moved to Atlanta. This Historical Black College has gone on to be a prestigious all-men school, and noted for its alumni: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Spike Lee, and Samuel L. Jackson to name a few.

the beautiful cliffs, keep hitting the gym and the “brotien” shakes. Your future ring-by-spring will appreciate this. 6. Friends Although you want to become a recluse, run into the mountains and give up on the “conventional life” forever, just don’t. Your friends will miss you. They’ve had your back this far, so don’t leave them hanging for 40 days. 7. Beds The floor is not as comfortable as it may seem. And “just hanging” in your hammock for 40 days will not please public safety. Keep sleeping in your bed. Plus, you wouldn’t want to let your

mother know that you let those twin-XL sheets go to waste. If this process of elimination did not get you any closer to narrowing down what to give up for Lent, try giving up googling yourself, selfies, plastic utensils or burrito runs. May these 40 days of Lent treat you well.

Things you shouldn’t give up for lent BY DARIA SZEPKOUSKI

STAFF WRITER

Lent is a time to reflect, but specifically a time to acknowledge what was done on the cross many years ago. In this time, people have been known to follow is Christ’s footsteps of fasting or giving up things they typically would enjoy for 40 days. As we approach upon the time of Lent this year, many people are stumped about what to give up. If that happens to be you, here are a few things you should NOT give up for 40 days. 1. Shoes

While we live by the beach and everyone wants to keep their toes sandy for as long as possible, keep your shoes on. Yes, Jesus walked miles and miles without shoes, but you will not be able to walk one step into the cafeteria without those Tevas, Burks or Nikes. That, and your socks probably smell. 2. Water We all know that coffee dates are important here, but please keep consuming water. Your body needs water to survive and nobody wants to see you faint from dehydration. 3. Bathing Basic hygiene is important. Again, I

know that in Jesus’ time they didn’t have those five star showers like the Young dorm does, but that is not an excuse. Your entire classroom would appreciate if you continue to clean yourself over the course of these next 40 days. 4. Your endless pursuit of love For all those hopeless romantics out there, these 40 days are not the time to give up! After all, we do have six more weeks until spring and we all know what that means. 5. Exercise Now is too soon to quit those New Year’s Resolutions you keep telling people you’ve kept up on. Keep running

PRESIDENTIAL WEEKLY ADDRESS Hey Loma! We have some pretty exciting stuff coming up in the next couple weeks that I want to make you aware of. Thursday, February 11 at 8 pm is the ASB declaration meeting. If you want to be on the ASB Board of Directors next year you must attend this meeting. If you have any questions email ASBExecutiveSecretary@pointloma.edu. Make sure you come out and support our teams this week. Our baseball team has their opening series on Thursday and Friday with both games at 2 pm. Our basketball teams play Thursday night at 5:30 and 7:30. Get out to one or all of these games this week. If you run into a member of our speech and debate team this week make sure you wish them luck because they are hosting a tournament this weekend. Also, head over and watch some of the tournament as it is happening! I hope everyone has an awesome week! PHOTO COURTESY OF POINTLOMA.EDU A student takes a swing at ASB’s car bash event for the school’s matches against APU (more photos on page 10).

monday, february 8, 2016 | the point

A&E | 5

a&e

PLAN YOUR WEEK

2/9: OSV Social Media, Branding and Marketing Panel in Colt Forum (5pm-7pm) 2/10: Cats on Mats: Yoga at the Cat Cafe (The Cat Cafe 472 3rd Ave, San Diego, California 92101, 6pm-8pm) 2/11: Just Saying! Freedom for the Captives Through Spoken Word - With Eugene Cho (Brown Chapel, 7pm-9pm) 2/12: Sunset Cliffs Round Robin Debate Tournament (All Day) 2/13: Sunset Cliffs Debate Tournament (All Day)

A preview of writer’s symposium

PHOTO COURTESY OF POINTLOMA.EDU BY ANDREW EAKES

STAFF WRITER

For 20 years, Point Loma Nazarene University has highlighted the accomplishments of legends in the writing field through Writer’s Symposium By The Sea. In past years, the Symposium featured novelists, poets, musicians, and spiritual leaders. This year, PLNU presents Dick Enberg, Robin Jones Gunn, Nikki Giovanni, and Sarah Bessey as the headlining guests for the event. “This gives writing and journalism students the opportunity to hear first hand about the writing process,” said Karl Martin, Chairman of the Literature, Journalism, and Modern Languages department, “You not only hear about the writing process, but the publishing process as well.”

The entire week is composed of workshops in which the featured artists discuss their crafts, as well as interviews by journalism professor Dean Nelson that will appeal to a variety of interests. Dick Enberg will be featured on Tuesday February 16th. The sportscaster began his career in 1957 announcing play-by-play for the Indiana Hoosiers football team. Since then he has announced for NBC, CBS, ESPN, and he is now preparing for a final season with the San Diego Padres as their announcer, a position he took in 2010. “I write with my heart,” wrote Enberg in an email. “Sports are a rich area for inspiration. Talented writers can produce stunning work even when they aren’t in love with the subject. I can’t.” Wednesday’s focus is on Robin Jones Gunn, who has sold around 5 million copies through her “Christy Miller”

series, “Sierra Jensen” series, “Katie Weldon” series, and many others. “I spend a lot of time praying and asking God for wisdom and direction before I start writing each book,” wrote Gunn in an email interview. “Then I show up at the computer and do the hard work of writing and rewriting. I draw from real experiences, feelings and common problems. I put my whole heart into the storytelling.” Robin Jones Gunn has found much of her inspiration through her faith and the love that God has provided her. Her favorite authors include Harriet Beecher Stowe and C.S. Lewis. “When I read “Perelandra” in college my imagination was expanded and it has not stopped expanding ever since,” Gunn wrote. “That book introduced me to the personality of the Creator. He expresses Himself to us in endless ways.

We can never limit God.” A well known poet in the slam poetry beat will be the focal point on Thursday. Nikki Giovanni, an author, spoken word artist, poet, essayist and activist, has won the Langston Hughes Medal, which is typically awarded to influential and engaging African American writers. She has also won the NAACP Image Award, which honors notable African Americans in movies, television, music, and literature. In Giovanni’s poem called Poetry she writes, “Poetry is motion graceful / As a fawn / Gentle as a teardrop / Strong like the eye / Finding peace in a crowded room.” Sarah Bessey, bestselling author for the book “Jesus Feminist” uses her own faith to write her books. As a very determined author and Christian she has previously and continues to

point out the role of women in the bible, especially Paul. “It’s not really a book about Christian feminist theory,” Bessey said on her website. “I see it as a book about the Kingdom of God, and what life looks like when you live into the ‘other side’ of so many of our missing-the-point gender debates in the Church.” Bessey will be speaking with Tim Whetstone on Friday February 19th. The 2016 Writer’s Symposium is an opportunity to get first hand guidance from some of the world’s best writers and announcers who are fueled by the things they love. It is through their passion they wish to guide others with like-minded attitudes so they may too be inspired. Tickets are still available at www.pointloma.edu/writers.

Local group revives the spoken word BY ANDREW EAKES

STAFF WRITER

The Queen Bee Cultural Center on Ohio Street in North Park, has been giving aspiring writers and poets the opportunity to show off their talent in front of a welcoming crowd for 10 years. This family-like atmosphere is one of a kind now a days after the decline in open-mics across the city. In 2005, poets, writers, and artists controlled the abstract yet cozy area of San Diego called North Park. Just off the 805 near Mission Valley, North Park at one point was empty of all of the restaurants, microbreweries, and hipsters. Fans of lyricism and poetry were introduced to the works of Rudy Francisco of Fiveology, Kendrick Dial of Lyrical Groove, and Christopher Rice-Wilson, local legends of the poetry world. “We were all performing at a place called Books and Barb which is gone now,” Rice-Wilson said. “There used to be 10 places that held poetry slams. Once the restaurants and breweries came in our rent was quadrupled and forced all of them out. On the last night the host told us ‘this doesn’t have to end.’ He was right, so a group of 10 or so of us started Elevated.” Elevated is an open mic that takes place on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of every month at 8 p.m. in the Queen Bee Cultural Center. “There are people who sing, tell stories, perform slam poetry, rap, we see it all. The only rule we have is no negativity,” says Dial. “People get on stage and speak what they feel passionate about, which is very brave. We don’t want them to be heckled. We encourage people who are afraid of public speaking to get up there.” Rudy Francisco, co-founder of Elevated, recently released a book of poems called No Gravity. As Francisco sat at Books and Barb on that final night a passion was sparked within him. “Our goal was to keep the art alive.,”

Francisco said. “We want to extend the gentrification because we felt that we needed to share our art and voice. We must listen to each other to improve in not just writing but in everything in life. I would say to not be afraid to express your true emotions.” Taylor Wright, a regular at Elevated, has experienced a large amount of troubles in the last year. Elevated, he says, has helped him tremendously in dealing with those troubles. “Elevated is like a cheap therapy for me,” said Wright. “My poems tend to be on homelessness and poverty only because that is what affects me the most. Even if I only affect one person with my poems that’s fine. The purpose of Elevated is to provide a comfortable place to express yourself.” Each person who goes onstage to perform is given four minutes, and there is no age range. Poems or songs can be on any subject or any genre. “In one night you get so much diversity and so many people from different backgrounds. We believe in being comfortable in your own skin,” said Dial The atmosphere during Elevated is familial and welcoming. “We want people to engage with one another; that is how we understand life,” said RiceWilson. “My goal here has been to take humanity and connect it to the world around them.” The Queen Bee Cultural Center holds events all throughout the month including the San Diego Poetry Slam every 2nd Monday of each month at 8 p.m. Any writer looking to perform his or her work in front of an easy-going and fun audience should look to Elevated. This is a great way for any local or non-local of San Diego to get a great perspective of this Southern California community.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SANDIEGO.EVENTFUL.COM Elevated in hosted at the Queen Bee Cultural Center at 3925 Ohio St, San Diego.

the point | monday, february 8, 2016

6 | SPORTS

sports

SEA LION SCORES

2/3: Men’s tennis at UC San Diego, loss 1-8 | Women’s basketball vs Cal State San Bernardino, win 67-56. 2/4: Women’s tennis vs UC San Diego, loss 2-7 2/5: Baseball at Chico State, loss 0-4 2/6: Baseball at Chico State, loss 2-3 | Men’s tennis at Redlands, loss 3-6 | Baseball at Chico State, loss 1-3 | Women’s basketball vs Hawaii Pacific, win 64-48 | Men’s basketball vs Hawaii Pacific, loss 64-79

UPCOMING EVENTS 2/8+9: Women’s golf vs PLNU Reach 2016 2/10: Women’s tennis vs Cal State LA 2/11: Baseball vs Cal State LA | Women’s Basketball vs Dominican (CA) | Men’s Basketball vs Dominican (CA)

Men’s and women’s basketball teams look to make playoff BY GRIFFIN ASELTINE

STAFF WRITER

Standing on the cusp of the playoffs with seven games remaining in the regular season, both of Point Loma’s basketball squads find themselves in similar spots of the PacWest standings. In order to qualify for the postseason bracket, teams are required to finish in the top six of the PacWest conference standings by the end of the season. The men’s team (11-9 overall and 6-7 in conference play) is currently tied for seventh in the conference and trailing three wins behind the sixthseeded BYU-Hawaii (9-7), while the women’s team (16-5 overall and 9-4 in conference play) is ranked fifth with a 2.5-game lead over the seventh-ranked Hawaii Hilo (7-7). “We play the majority of the teams ahead of us in the standings this next month,” said senior Aaron Roedl. “If we can win most of those matchups, we are in (the playoffs). The rest of the season is in our hands, and we are glad to be in this position. We’re coming up against some of the best teams, so we have a great opportunity to prove ourselves.” Their journey has not been without its moments of struggle. Injuries have cut deeply into the roster with Trevor Peterson, Emerson Castaneda, Randall Jackson, and Sam Okhotin all currently unable to perform. In response, the underclassmen have outperformed their expectations, including freshman Josh Rodriguez and junior transfers Tanner Lancona and Chad Watkins. “All of our new players, despite having little experience in our program, have managed to come in and learn things quickly,” said Roedl. “Some of them have even became starters and key contributors to this team.” Despite sitting at a seemingly shaky 6-7 conference record, the men’s team feels that they are more than capable of being a postseason threat in March if they take care of business throughout the rest of February. “We beat Azusa Pacific here at home and they’re at the top of the conference,” said Roedl. “If we can beat them, we can beat anyone.” For the women’s team, despite being in playoff position, there have been many efforts to keep the pressure low in order for the team to continue its stride. “There’s a lot of hype around us for many reasons,” said junior forward Madison West, the team’s leading scorer. “For example, it’s Westphal’s last season, and he’s close to 600 wins as the end of the year is approaching.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF PLNUSEALIONS.COM (Above) Freshman Josh Rodriguez looks for an opening against Hawaii Pacific University last week. Rodriguez finished with a team-high 18 points.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PLNUSEALIONS.COM Sophomore Alex Brunk attempts to control the ball against HPU defenders. The Sea Lions won the game by a score of 64-48.

Bill Westphal’s overall career record as a head coach is currently 594-346, and with seven games left to play in the regular season, there is an opportunity for that milestone to be passed. The season roller coaster has been a raher unique one for the women’s team, starting the season off 5-0 before a brutal 3-5 stretch that began just two days after Thanksgiving against Cal State

Los Angeles. They are currently on an eight-game winning streak that began on December 9th against Cal State San Marcos. “It took us a little longer than we had hoped for, but we are starting to mold together as a team,” said West. “Paola Roa and Alex Brunk have stepped up this year as sophomores; they both have excellent core vision.

Amy Ogren has stepped up in scoring, Anna Viettry is improving in point guard vision, and Sydney Tonack has been cleaning up on the board. It’s definitely not a one-man team.” Despite the pressure and early season struggles, the confidence of the women’s team is apparent. “I know we can beat any of the top teams,” said West. “We just have to step

up and not panic under the pressure.” While both teams have had their struggles, they are both in control of their own destiny, and they both feel that postseason success is a legitimate possibility. Whether or not that ambition comes true starts now in the final month of the regular season.

Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology:

Marriage and Family Therapy

Learn more! Visit apu.edu/mft/. Or contact Jen Jordan at jjordan@apu.edu or (619) 718-9655.

Apply today! Deadline is October 1. 18291

monday, february 8, 2016| the point

SPORTS | 7

The Future of Point Loma is Looking Athletic

PHOTO COURTESY OF PLNUSEALIONS.COM The athletics department has enacted a fundraiser campaign with a goal of $1,000,000. The bulk of the funds will be distributed towards improvements for a new scoreboard, weight room and baseball field turf. BY ANDREW EAKES

STAFF WRITER

Point Loma Nazarene University has always been blessed with beautiful locations and facilities, whether in Pasadena or Sunset Cliffs—a type of quality that perhaps hasn’t translated to parts of the athletics department. The baseball field still sports the same grass as it did when Pasadena College moved to Point Loma in 1973, which is far beyond the normal age of a baseball field. “The challenge with the baseball field is that it has not once been replaced,” said Athletic Director Ethan Hamilton. “It has gotten to the point

where it is not safe. It’s not level and that has been a concern for us.” Some recent storms have also caused considerable damage to the athletic fields and the scoreboard. With the home opener next week, the athletic department has made replacing the scoreboard a top priority. The flooding has caused the city of San Diego to force PLNU to take care of drainage issues on the baseball field as well. On May 18, a 14-week project will launch to fix these problems—a similar attempt was done to the soccer field five years ago. “We run camps on these fields over the summer,” said Hamilton. “During the school year (our) athletics, P.E. classes, intramural sports and other

activities use the fields. Most schools have more than two grass fields, so with us we are limited. We have to keep our fields safe.” The weight room has been another top priority for the athletic department. According to Hamilton, renovation discussions are in the works, but the idea of an off-campus fitness center is not out of the question. “We have tried to engage in conversations with Point Loma Sports Club about the possibility of off-campus use by either athletes or students and faculty,” said Hamilton. “If we could get an on-campus fitness center, I think everyone would win, not just athletes.” Junior soccer player Ariel Oriarte said the idea of an off-campus weight

room would indeed benefit the players. “The athletic facilities are below-par. It’s hard to finish your workout in the weight room when you are conflicting with other sports and P.E. classes,” said Oriarte. “Sometimes, I can’t finish my workouts because there are too many people in there. I’m not opposed to the idea of an off-campus gym.” However, all of these upgrades come with a lengthy price tag. A new scoreboard, outfield grass and weight room renovations would total over $900,000. Hamilton was first to thank PLNU for all of their financial support, but he said more funding was needed to reach their goal of $1,000,000 for the aforementioned upgrades. So far the total according to www.plnusealions.com is

at $117,150. “The response has been great from the school, previous donors, alumni, and parents of current athletes, we can’t thank them enough,” said Brian Thornton, Senior Associate Athletic Director. “Anyone can donate through www. plnusealins.com. If students could send out the link to anyone they think would donate that would be great. All of this money goes back to the school to benefit everyone.” For Hamilton, Thornton or any of the school’s many athletes new facilities could mean the benefit of new equipment and playing fields for all students and faculty to use.

Sometimes surfing the same spot can become monotonous. Of course it is vital that a surfer never takes the ocean for granted, but it is also vital to explore new locations. I recently surfed Tourmaline for the first time with some great company. It was exciting to see the locals claim their territory in the water and stake out the entire scene from the parking lot. The community at Tourmaline was laid back and welcoming. Even a baby seal popped out of the water to welcome me. We met surfers from San Diego State University; they all admired that we were students from PLNU. Although we are students on opposite ends of San Diego, Friday’s warm weather and rolling waves brought us together at Tourmaline. It was a day when no one was using his or her cell phone. The whole world was before our eyes, surfing Tourmaline as children play in a jungle gym. Surfers communicated to one another from across the water. No one knew what time of day it was. We were living in the moment. And nothing else mattered.

Surf report : Jayme O’Hanlon

Surf’s up you radical Sea Lions! Looks like it will be a consistent 3-4 ft. Enjoy the warm weather in the outdoors this week! Waves are pumping. Get stoked.

MONDAY 8TH

TUESDAY 9TH

WEDNESDAY 10TH

THURSDAY 11TH

FRIDAY 12TH

Surf height: 3-4 ft. Wind speed high: 15 mph at 3 pm Wind speed low: 4 mph at 9 am Low tide: 0.4m at 1:55 am High tide: 1.97m at 8:00 am Low tide: -0.37m at 3:00 pm High tide: 1.39m at 9:11 pm Sunrise: 6:37 am

Surf height: 3-4 ft. Wind speed high: 16 mph at 3 pm Wind speed low: 1 mph at 9 am Low tide: 0.32m at 2:36 am High tide: 2m at 8:40 am Low tide: -0.39m at 3:34 pm High tide: 1.47m at 9:45 pm Sunrise: 6:36 am

Surf height: 3-4 ft. Wind speed high: 14 mph at 3 pm Wind speed low: 2 mph at 9 am Low tide: 0.25m at 3:19 am High tide: 1.97m at 9:21 am Low tide: -0.35m at 4:09 pm High tide: 1.53m at 10:21 pm Sunrise: 6:35am

Surf height: 3-4 ft. Wind speed high: 11 mph at 3 pm Wind speed low : 1 mph at 9 am Low tide: 0.21m at 4:04 am High tide: 1.86m at 10:04 am Low tide: -0.25m at 4:46 pm High tide: 1.57m at 10:59 pm Sunrise: 6:34 am

Surf Height: 4-8 ft. Wind speed high: 10 mph at 3 pm Wind speed low: 1 mph at 9 am Low tide: 0.21m at 4:55 pm High tide: 1.68m at 10:51 am Low tide: -0.1m at 5:24 pm High tide: 1.58m at 11:42 pm Sunrise: 6:34 am

Sunset: 5:28 pm

Sunset: 5:29 pm

Sunset: 5:30 pm

Sunset: 5:31 pm

Sunset: 5:32 pm

This information was collected from Magicseaweed

the point | monday, february 8, 2016

8 | OPINION

opinion

Jonathan Soch // Editor-In-Chief Jake Henry // News Editor Samantha Watkins // Features Editor Louis Schuler // Sports Editor Autumn Shultz // A&E Editor

Cori Deason // Opinion Editor Abbey Stewart // Copy Editor Jayme O’Hanlon// Layout Editor Jordan Ligons//Web Editor

#LomaChatter

Is it too late now to say sorry? BY MACKENZIE LEVEQUE

Have something to say? Submit your random thoughts, funny comments, or opinions!

STAFF WRITER

The other day, I was walking down Caf Lane when I saw a guy on a skateboard almost run down a girl walking to her class. This was not what surprised me. What surprised me was that the girl automatically turned to the skateboarder and said one word. “Sorry.” “Sorry?” This guy almost ran her over and she is apologizing to him? The only reason this girl would have apologized to him is if the word was so instinctive to her that she just said it automatically. This made me think about the word “sorry” and its use in our lives. The more I started listening for it, the more I started noticing its constant presence in everyday life. “Sorry,” said the barista at Better Buzz when I bumped into her. “Sorry,” said the guy who dropped a pencil in front of the girl next to him in science class. What are we all so sorry for? I’m not the first person to notice this phenomenon. New York Times writer Sloane Crosley talked about this barrage of sorrys in an opinion piece for the publication last July, claiming that, “It’s not what we’re saying that’s the problem, it’s what we’re not saying. The sorrys are taking up airtime that should be used for making logical, declarative statements, expressing opinions and relaying accurate impressions of what we want.” In other words, we are using sorry as a replacement for the things that we actually need to be saying. Instead of simply stating our purpose, we are apologizing as an easy reflex. An article in Psychology Today agreed that these excess apologies are too much, but for a different reason.

The Point

The opinions in this section may not reflect those of The Point 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 corideason404@pointloma.edu.

Text your #LomaChatter to 619-786-6890! Don’t forget Galentine’s Day on the 13th. Make Leslie Knope proud. Your prof is not bae. They are married. Wash your mouth out with soap. Pro-tip Don’t take your girlfriend to the caf on Valentine’s Day. Even if you swipe her in. I love you more than I love one way scans in chapel. Ideal Valentine: Tall, handsome, can pay my tuition in cash.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PDPICS.COM

“Saying sorry too much can trivialize the act of apology, making the important ones carry less weight,” states the article by Dr. Juliana Breines. If you said that every food in the caf was your favorite food, would anyone believe you when you said that the cookies were your favorite food (obviously)? By the same logic, if we are saying sorry about things that don’t actually matter, then it means a lot less when we say sorry about things that do. So how can we fix this sorry state of affairs? The first thing we can do is just to

think about what we say. Our words have weight and it would do us all a favor to stop and consider them. Are you actually sorry or do you need to rephrase? If you really want to do an apology overhaul, there is actually a Gmail plug in called “Just Not Sorry” that will warn you with a red underline when you use phrases such as “I’m sorry” or “I’m not expert.” Over at news source Refinery29, the writers on staff tried an experiment in which they counted how many times they apologized in a day. After a full day of tallied apologizes and psychologi-

cal analysis, they came up with what I find to be the best advice: “Stand up straight, look the person in the eye, and say “I apologize.” But only do it when you’re truly sorry.” I’m not urging you to be a heartless, ruthless person who never feels bad for the terrible things that they have done. What I am suggesting is that you think about your words and only say sorry when you truly are. As in, not when someone almost takes you out with their skateboard. Mackenzie Leveque is a junior journalism major.

Valentine’s Day and the Loma girl to guy Ratio BY PHILLIP WARD

STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF TORANGE.US

There are more girls at Point Loma than guys. I know, I know, shocker right? The Point Loma student population is made up of approximately 66% women and 34% men. That means that for every guy there are two girls, the infamous “Loma Ratio.” Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and, as a holiday that is almost exclusively focused on romantic relationships, it leaves most of the female population at Point Loma in an interesting situation. Even if we were to assume that all the guys at Point Loma were dating a girl at Point Loma, that would still leave half of all the girls here without someone to spend Valentine’s Day with. The math just doesn’t work out. So what do our students think? “It blows,” said Marlee Aylward when asked her opinion on the “Loma Ratio.” Her reasons make a lot of sense, “There’s limited selection. Not saying that it means there aren’t that many great guys here, there’s like a ton of really great guys here, but most of them are already thinking about someone else, because there’s twice as many people for them to be thinking about.” Therein lies the rub. Simply in terms of numbers, the chances of a girl finding a guy that she wants to spend Valentine’s Day with are half as good of a guy doing the same. That in itself wouldn’t be a big deal (aside from being a massive bummer for girls) but for the fact that Valentine’s Day is seen in drastically different lights by males and females. “I think of spending an unnecessary amount of money on a dinner that would cost half as much on any other night, because of a date our society

decided upon,” said Freshman Scott Coiner. Marlee Aylward’s view of Valentine’s Day was decidedly more positive than Scott Coiner’s. She described it as a time to express your feelings in a tangible way, “That doesn’t have to mean a fancy dinner or anything extravagant, but just be like, hey everyone around here is celebrating their special someone and you’re my special someone, I hope you know that.” Valentine’s Day, in general, means more to girls than it does to guys. It’s just how it is. So what is the girl to do who wants a valentine, but has the odds stacked incredibly against her? I don’t really know. But I do know that if you want something bad enough, there is always a way to get it. Seduce him if comes to that. And I also know that men, and this is where I can speak with at least a bit more authority, have a unique opportunity this week to speak value and worth into the lives of so many of the girls around them. Men, in general, tend to be complacent. Too often we walk around with head down and earbuds in. What if instead, we smiled a smile that says, “You’re beautiful,” at everyone we walk past on our way to class (and odds are most of them will be girls, so it won’t be too weird). So this Valentine’s Day, and I’m speaking to both guys and girls now, go out of your way to make someone feel special. Philip Ward is a freshman with a double major in writing and engineering.

St. Valentine: The patron saint of reminding me how single I am. Remember in grade school when we passed out Valentine’s Day cards to everyone in our class? My love life is like the PLNU-wifi, irritating and disappointing at best. If any one still needs a date, meet me at the caf on Valentine’s Day. Netflix counts as a S/O, right? Asking for a friend. A+ Original date idea: burritos.

I wonder what I want to buy myself for Valentines Day? You don’t need a significant other to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Celebrate your love for your friends and family. Let them know how much you love them. I am so hangry right now. I could tear a bear apart with my bare hands and eat it raw.

Talk to her. Sometimes I think about being social. And then I remember that I’m not wearing any pants, am eating fivelayer dip, and am browsing YouTube. It is a one-way scan tonight: THANKS BE TO GOD. I have a scary story for you: it’s called college tuition.