Point2014 issue1 by LomaBeat.com

The Point point loma nazarene university

monday, september 15, 2014

Features pg. 3

volume 43 | issue 1

A&E pg. 5

Sports pg. 6

Remembering 9/11

Opinion pg. 7

More on Loma Beat!

University limits student working hours under Obamacare BY SAMANTHA WATKINS STAFF WRITER

KARA LYONS-PARDUE PHOTOS BY JONATHAN SOCH “I remember, in particular, empathizing and sensing the horror when they were reporting that people - out of sheer desperation - were jumping out of the highest points of the building—falling to their death, but it was better than what they were experiencing inside. I was a theology major at the time, and I remember thinking that any claims that we were making about God at the time had to make sense, or had to have an answer to the kind of suffering and desperation of the people that were causing them to jump out of the building.”

With Obamacare, some colleges and universities now have to limit the hours students can work on campus, making sure they do not qualify for school-provided health insurance. Last month, the University of Kansas said it would limit student workers to 20 hours per week for the school year and 40 hours in the summer. With these limitations, students will fall under the 1,560-hour per year threshold that would otherwise make them full-time workers who qualify for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. Point Loma Nazarene University has ensured that no students will qualify for Obamacare with their hourly limit. Among all positions – paid by hourly wage, stipends and scholarship – I’m easily exceeding the 1,560-hour yearly threshold, but I do not qualify for health insurance because only my hourly-wage work is counted under PLNU’s rules.

Debra Lively, employment and internship coordinator for PLNU’s Offices of Strengths and Vocation, said the school’s limit on official student working hours isn’t intended to avoid the Obamacare threshold. “Our primary concern is for the students – they are a student first and we offer them the opportunity to work as a way to contribute to the university and earn money,” Lively said. “This has been part of the university’s system for over 10-plus years.” The Iowa State Daily is making its staff who work more than 29 hours a week sign a waiver saying they get insurance through their parents or otherwise don’t need it, General Manager Laura Widmer told the Student Press Law Center. Republican congressman Mark Meadows proposes exempting student workers from Obamacare. Meadows said the University of North Carolina system alone has “3,900 students workers who would fall under the Employer Mandate, SEE OBAMACARE, PAGE 2

Obama addresses ISIL; faculty explain crisis BY KATIE CALLAHAN STAFF WRITER

President Obama announced Wednesday that he will continue ordering airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and send 475 additional troops to Iraq to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces. “So tonight, with a new Iraqi government in place and following consultations with allies abroad and Congress at home, I can announce that America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat,” Obama said in his address Wednesday. “Our objective is clear: We will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counterterrorism strategy.” Already, Obama said the U.S. has conducted over 150 airstrikes in Iraq in order to protect the threat to American personnel and facilities in the area, kill Islamic State fighters, destroy their weapons and allow Iraqi and Kurdish forces to recover their territory. Current action has been partly inspired by the threats to the U.S. after the beheadings of two U.S. journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff. Even more recently, a British aid worker, David Haines was beheaded in a video

released by the Islamic State Saturday. Obama has made clear, however, that he will not be sending troops to fight on foreign soil. According to vox.com, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, often also called the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS), first secured territory in northern Iraq - an area originally controlled by the Kurdish minority. Secretary of State John Kerry recently took a trip to Iraq Wednesday to meet with the Iraqi government and enlisted more Middle Eastern and European partners to help mobilize troops. Rosco Williamson, faculty chair for the department of History and Political Science at PLNU, explains that this complex issue is about political Islam. He says the Islamic State is really about taking territory. “They want to have control of at least some of Iraq and some of Syria, which makes them a little different than al-Qaida. Al-Qaida didn’t want territory,” Williamson said. “Al-Qaida was less about territory and more about sort of these global ideas. This group and a lot of those political Islamic groups are interested in the territory as well. Theoretically, if the U.S. didn’t bug them, they wouldn’t

bug us. Al-Qaida’s not that way.” Williamson cautions students not to call this a terrorist group though, saying that while they use terror tactics; they’re really just a rebel group. “The targets would be – if there are targets – those who support the Iraqi or Syrian government. There’s not like a particular group, though they’re going to be less nice to some. For example, this group is what we call a Sunni group, Sunni Islam. They’re not going to be big fans of Shia, the Shia Islam. The government in Iraq is Shia because Iraq is mostly Shia and the government in Syria is Shia. Not big fans. They’re also not huge fans of the Kurds and their fight in this area, but that’s not exactly about religion.” Iraq is roughly 60 percent Shia and 40 percent Sunni, according to Williamson. The Shia were the majority, but the Sunni were in charge. Now, with democracy, the Shia outvoted the Sunni and created a Shia government. Though this divide is more about political and economic access rather than the religious doctrine, the groups will still utilize the division. “They [ISIL] want us to leave them alone because then they’re good to go and can take over Iraq,” Williamson said. “Unfortunately for them, it kind

ISIL CONTROL PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS / WIKIPEDIA

of backfired and got the international community more riled up. Last year, President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against people and President Obama said ‘you know that sucks but we’re not going to do anything.’ So all they thought they needed to do was make it too costly to get involved. For whatever reason, the Americans said the complete opposite and are especially going after these guys.” John Wright, a theology professor at PLNU, said the Islamic State wants to move back to before western colonial borders were established and revert back to their political order prior to western imposition after World War I. “In some way, all ISIL is trying to

do is roll back the clock ... like it could be to pre-western colonial interests when the area was governed by Islamic colonial interests,” he said. “The Islamic world is rejecting western liberalism as the only political theory that is viable.” In order to look at this situation effectively, students should start by understanding. “We have to develop a sense of history and understand it and recognize our own – the United States’ own – militarism and violence as deeply embedded in this, which is not to legitimize their violence,” said Wright. Williamson says that for now, the U.S. will continue sending airstrikes, advisors, special ops and teaching Kurdish militia to fight, waiting a long time before sending ground troops. He suggests students stay informed because of what comes later. “The more that we stay informed, the more we can make informed decisions about what’s next,” he said. “Whether there’s bombing for the next year or a short campaign or whether the troops will work itself out or keep humanitarian aid, staying informed is the only way the American people have a say in that.

the point | monday, september 15, 2014

2 | NEWS

Face time with ASB President mcKensey Wise BY KATIE CALLAHAN STAFF WRITER

ASB President mcKensey Wise, a senior managerial and organization communication major, took the time via email to answer some of The Point’s questions. This Thousand Oaks native plays on the volleyball team when she’s not concussed, but is not yet cleared to play. In the meantime, Wise invites the student body to join her in prayer at 3:20 p.m. everyday to ask God to do more, as it says in Ephesians 3:20, than we can ask or imagine. She’s the first ASB president to be an athlete and she’s devoted to the ASB mission this year to encourage involvement, promote unity and enhance the student experience. The Point: How would you describe yourself to students? I love the Lord a lot, I care deeply about students and I get excited easily. The Point: What is a typical day in the life of mcKensey Wise? My day usually starts around 6:30 a.m. After I wake up, I get ready, make breakfast and spend time in the Bible and in prayer. That day, I’ll go to whichever classes I have, chapel and usually quite a few meetings with various administrators, students and fellow ASB directors. I always try to find a few friends to eat lunch with. I generally end up spending any extra time in the day in my office prepping for upcoming meetings or catching up with friends. At 3:20, my alarm goes off and I ask the Lord to do immeasurably more at PLNU than I could ask or imagine. Shortly after, I head to the gym for practice. When I’m not concussed, I actually practice; however, in these past few weeks, I have watched practice and spent a considerable amount of time in the Athletic Training Clinic. After practice, I’ll grab dinner on the way to another meeting or two, squeeze in some time for homework, and get ready for bed. The Point: How’s the concussion? (Wise suffered a concussion while practicing a week before school started and hasn’t been cleared to play.) My symptoms are still pretty up and down. There are days when I feel great and days when I feel not great. The Point: Adal’s or Ortiz’s or other? Ortiz’s, but hold the sour cream. The Point: Favorite Restaurant? My favorite kind of restaurant is a new one. I love trying new places! Of the places I’ve been, though, one of my San Diego favorites is a little place in Hillcrest called the Great Maple. The Point: When did you first get interested in volleyball? Why did you decide to play in college? FROM OBAMACARE, PG. 1

costing the universities about $21 million,” in an op-ed for the Asheville Citizen-Times Meadows’ Student Worker Exemption Act (HR-5262) has been endorsed by Tom Ross, president of the UNC system, and David Belcher,

I started playing competitively in high school because there was no P.E. option. We were required to either play a sport or to get P.E. credit from zero period weight lifting. I actually was a pretty terrible volleyball player and barely made the freshmen team. I took a liking to the sport and started playing club volleyball. I ended up playing JV the next year and Varsity the next. I didn’t decide to play in college until after I had already decided to go to PLNU. It was at a club tournament the April before coming to PLNU that I introduced myself to Coach Sarah. She came and watched one of my games, invited me to practice with the team over spring break and offered me a spot on the team during that visit. The Point: What are your plans for the year? The verse that has been on my heart for the past few weeks says, “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” It comes from Proverbs 16:9. I have lists upon lists of things that I would like to do. With the coupling of the unexpected concussion and the Ephesians 3:20 plead for the Lord to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, I really have no idea what the Lord is going to do this year. I plan on working on a number of events and objectives, but I know that those plans can change and that’s okay. The Point: Why should students care about ASB? ASB stands for Associated Student Body. We are all a part of ASB. The reason that student government exists is to do things for the students. I don’t feel like I’m going out on a limb here to say that students care about their experience here. The Point: How are you going to show students what it is that ASB does for them? The biggest way that I know how to demonstrate our purpose to the student body is to be available to the students. “Pop In” with the president is one way we in ASB have tried to show that we are available and to set a time and place apart for meaningful conversations. Even though this is geared towards my office, all of the ASB officers have posted office hours. We are here and ready to answer questions, invite feedback and to help students in any ways that we can! Our office hours are posted to your immediate right when you walk into the Caf lobby. The Point: What’s the best adventure you’ve been on while at Loma? Last spring break, 10 of us took a road trip through Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. We had a blast! The Point: Why did you choose PLNU? Before I visited PLNU, I was looking for a school that was the exact opposite – large, public and on the east coast. My mom and I came down to San Diego to get an idea of what different schools were like and she suggested that we at least stop by PLNU. I couldn’t stop smiling once we got on campus. Every time my parents and I prayed about it or looked at the website, it’s like we just knew this was right. My grandpa would call it a “holy hunch.”

chancellor of Western Carolina University. With these endorsements the act may allow student workers to exceed 30hrs per week in the long term future. But in a 2012 report by the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 20 percent of the nation’s 19.7 million undergradu-

Community Ministries take Caf Lane

News according to President Brower BY KATIE CALLAHAN STAFF WRITER

PHOTO BY JONATHAN SOCH Students from the Ministry with Mexico booth, along with the other community ministries, recruited students Friday after Chapel.

Center for Justice and Reconciliation raises funds for Beauty for Ashes Scholarship BY BRITTANY NAYLOR STAFF WRITER

The Center for Justice and Reconciliation recently announced plans to start crowdfunding its Beauty for Ashes Scholarship Fund in late October with the goal of providing a year’s worth of education at PLNU. The new scholarship was created to “support the education of survivors of human trafficking, launch many passionate young people into meaningful careers that tackle modern slavery with wisdom and mentorship and to strengthen the university’s infrastructure to support this level of mentoring,” according to the scholarship’s website, abolishhumantrafficking.com Beauty for Ashes is one of three subdivisions of the CJR with the intention of working toward abolishing human trafficking. For survivors of human trafficking, shifting from merely surviving to thriving usually accompanies a desire for an education, according to Kim Berry Jones, a 1990 PLNU alumna who volunteers in external relations for CJR. Higher education, however, is an expensive dream. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2011-2012, the average tuition of a private, four-year institution was $33,716 dollars. “One of the things we found working with survivors of human trafficking is their dream of an education,” said Jones. “You think of an average person trying to pursue an education, it’s a pretty daunting goal. Factor that in with a person who is in the process of reintegrating into society and the idea of getting to go to college, a Christian college where there is that extra level of support, seems like a dream that can’t come true.” The Beauty for Ashes Scholarship

ates are employed full-time by independent organizations for the entire year. That heavy workload leads some scholars to argue that the Obamacare threshold is beside the point. Laura Perna, a professor of higher education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education

Fund was created to directly combat the hurdle of affording a private, fouryear education by providing tuition to PLNU for a year. In order to gather the necessary funds for their scholarship, the CJR is planning a crowdfund campaign to start in late October. “It’s possible to give to the fund currently, but we’re trying to launch a crowdfund as the initial seed money and we’re going to have a $40,000 goal,” said Jones. “We’re hoping by the end of the year to have that seed money.” The CJR, in working with multiple anti-human trafficking organizations, have heard from survivors interested in attending PLNU. Already, one survivor is in the application process to attend PLNU in the spring, but the names of the scholarship beneficiaries will be kept private by CJR. “It’s not like somebody is going to be a survivor of trafficking and get this scholarship from this fund and everybody knows they are the one who got the scholarship because then they have this huge label,” said senior Mollie Ah Sing, a lead intern on the project. “We’re not going to know unless they want to be known.” According to Jones, San Diego is 13th in the nation for the amount of people trafficked, mostly due to gangs who profit more in human trafficking than selling weapons. Despite the heavy presence of human trafficking in San Diego, the Beauty for Ashes Scholarship Fund is unique. “[We] found very little to nothing existing out there quite like this,” said Jones. “[I]t’s definitely a unique idea, especially among universities here in San Diego.”

and editor of the book “Understanding the Working College Student,” told the Chronicle that students who work 10 to 15 hours a week on campus do better academically and graduate at higher rates than their peers. PLNU continues to keep their cap at 20 hours per week for students.

The Point sat down with President Brower before the start of the semester and asked him: What’s news that students need to know? Here are some news items arising from that conversation. Student safety: Sexual violence – Update on policies With the enactment of California bill SB 967 regarding “Student safety: sexual assault,” the Department of Education requires California colleges to allow victims of sexual assault – staff, faculty and students – to receive treatment, information and a description of off-campus resources. These statefunded policies address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. Student handbooks and catalogs have been updated and faculty and staff training will occur throughout the semester. The new science building – A lot of changes in the next two months By early November, the walls, slabs, floor and roof are expected be completed. There will be 13 new labs for chemistry and biology and four classrooms that seat a total of 280 students installed in the new science building. The new facility will be a 32,900 square feet, two story building. The dry sciences will remain in the Rohr Science building which will be renovated over the next couple of years. By this time, the focus will be on the inside of the building. The stainless steel panels that will be installed on the south side of the new building are angled to reflect heat away from the new building and light back onto the patio and the cooler north side of Rohr Science. Symbols will be lasercut to display alpha and omega, representative of both its scientific and biblical meanings. “It’s only been about two and a half months and the structure is taking shape rapidly,” Brower said. Less than $3.5 million is left to raise for the completion of the project. According to sciencecampaign. pointloma.edu, 76 percent has been funded, which equals $11,337,366.33. There are 109 days left to donate to the campaign. “With the number of gift proposals and visits we are making, I’m optimistic about meeting the goal,” Brower said. Prescott Prayer Chapel – What’s the deal? Over Christmas, Prescott Chapel will be relocated to the grass area just north of the current its current location. Physical changes to the inside of Prescott will occur to improve it. The patio area will be broader, more inviting and usable. Brower hopes money raised through alumni contributions and others will help make the interior improvements. “It’ll be a great new location and should provide additional places of prayer as the exterior seating is developed,” Brower said. Mary Paul, vice president of spiritual development, is coordinating the creation of a temporary prayer area for the fall semester on the rotunda of Ryan Library.

monday, september 15, 2014 | the point

FEATURES | 3

features San Diego food finds

THINK ON THAT

“One of the biggest things in our life is we want to be known, just as God wants us to be known.” Grace Myatt, PLNU Timeout

Magic Mountain thrills students

BY LUCAS CONCEPCION STAFF WRITER

We all love the Caf, but sometimes we want something different. We want to see what delectable foods San Diego has to offer without the hassle of doing research or playing it safe with familiar chains. Fortunately, yours truly was raised in San Diego and I’ve had my whole life to discover all of the best and most interesting places across town to take your friends and loved ones out to. Every week I’ll be sharing some of my local favorites across all styles of cuisine for your enjoyment.

Loma Favorites (Point Loma and Midway) This inaugural week will be a refresher course for returning students and a helpful list for the fresh new faces. All restaurants listed are a short drive away from campus.

Under $10 Adalberto’s Ortiz’s

1868 Rosecrans St. 3708 Voltaire St.

I’m just going to get the rivalry out of the way here. Both serve fantastic burritos, carne asada fries and rolled tacos. Both are just minutes away and cheap enough for college students.

Lucas’s Pick! Divine Pastabilitie 3545 Midway Dr. The most unique eatery on this list: serving rich, thick pastas INSIDE of Italian baguettes. One six inch “torpasta” is enough to satisfy for lunch and dinner! A must try! The Cravory Blvd. Gluten Free

PHOTO BY JONATHAN SOCH Students ride Tatsu Friday after the first week of classes as a part of Naz Night at Magic Mountain. Before the event, some students who arranged to arrive by bus, were forced to drive after ASB oversold tickets. All of those drivers will be reimbursed by ASB.

Freshmen guide to Student Senate COMPILED BY JAKE HENRY STAFF WRITER

It’s that time of year again when Freshman Senate elections are taking place. This year four lucky freshman will have the opportunity to obtain these open positions. The election will take place this Wednesday, where the freshman class will be able to vote online. Listed below are a few of the potential freshman senators for this year and reasons why they say they should be elected.

3960 W Point Loma

Nathan Ing

At this cute little designer cookie bakery, you can buy a cookie individually or by them by the half or full dozen. Their creations are VERY sweet and satisfying.

Under $20 Hodad’s

5010 Newport Ave.

One of the best burger places in town: the burgers are huge and the shakes are fantastic. Be prepared to wait though, because this place is always busy. Point Loma Seafood 2805 Emerson St. Fresh seafood is served daily for dirt cheap considering what you are getting. Soups, sandwiches, cocktails, and simple platters - this place has everything! Except good parking…

Cici Holmquist

Jake Henry

I have a lot of ideas for the school and I want to be a voice for our freshman class.

I would love to implement my ideas to make Point Loma an even better place. I have always wanted an opportunity to do that and I believe this will do just that.

Megan Clynes

Cooper Sage

Tyler Marlow I'm from San Diego and my major is Christian Ministry with an emphasis on youth. I love working with people and for people to make them have the best experience they can get. Here at PLNU I can do that on Student Senate.

I love people.

Corvette Diner 2965 Historic Decatur Rd. Gluten Free This 50’s themed diner combines great Americana food with a fun atmosphere for any occasion. Don’t be afraid to sing along with the waitresses! Slater’s 50/50 Burgers 2750 Dewey Rd. Gluten Free This burger house is known for their completely customizable burgers and famous half beef/half bacon patties. BACON PATTIES. WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE READING THIS?! Pizza Nova Gluten Free

5050 N Harbor Dr.

This pristine pizzeria stands out in Point Loma with their family style pizza and pasta combos.

I love Point Loma and want to do everything I can to help keep it great! I want to give the freshman class a voice so that they feel like they are important to the community here. I believe that I have the skills to be able to connect with the student body and faculty to keep Loma moving in the right direction.

I like strawberry jelly and I am also running for freshman student senate. I was the senior class vice president at my high school and a commissioner for program designed to give youth a voice in local government, but I really just want to get more involved at PLNU and be part of something I am passionate about.

Heidi Nickles I am very excited to be running this year for the opportunity to become a representative of our stellar class. I feel that I am qualified for this position because I have student council experience from my past high school years and would love to continue serving the community.

Alexander Hsia I want to make a positive impact here at PLNU ... I feel it is my responsibility to help better our school. I believe being an active member of ASB will be great opportunity for me develop my leadership skills. I truly think that God has put me at where I am for a purpose. I hope to fulfill God's plan for me through this opportunity.

the point | monday, september 15, 2014

4 | FEATURES

In search of a church: a story of two dads

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE FRANZ Mike Franz (left) and Phil Sanchez (right) adopted their sons, Lazarus (left) and Gabriel (right) in 2013 and 2007, respectively. After having trouble finding a church, the family settled at Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego. BY MEAGAN CHRISTOPH STAFF WRITER

On a sunny Sunday morning in Rancho Peñasquitos, Mike Franz was the first of his family to wake up. He dressed his two sons, Gabriel, 7, and Lazarus, 4, in khaki pants, longsleeve shirts, and brown dress shoes for church. His husband, Phil Sanchez, woke up last. Phil sleeps in on Sundays, since he works long hours during the week. As the family had an eclectic breakfast, worship music played. Gabriel and Lazarus had toasted bagels with peanut butter and bananas, Franz had oatmeal and egg whites, while Sanchez chose rice and eggs. After the family finished up eating, they helped Gabriel work on a Valentine’s Day box for his school before they piled in their champagnecolored Jeep to make it on time to the 11 o’clock service at Metropolitan Community Church of San Di-

ego in Bay Park. The Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego, started in 1970, and now has a congregation of more than 250 active members. Rev. Troy Perry formed the first Metropolitan Community Church in Los Angeles in 1968. The church is a member of the Metropolitan Community Churches, a growing worldwide denomination of hundreds of congregations that are open to all people, while providing a particular ministry to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. The current senior pastor of MCC San Diego is Dan Koeshall. The church was founded as an inclusive, affirming, Christ-centered community of faith, which is what was really appealing to Franz. “Church is important to our family simply because God is so important to us,” said Franz. Franz had a bad experience with a church prior to coming to MCC,

STUDY ABROAD PHOTO OF THE WEEK

when a pastor very nicely explained that Franz could never become a member because he and Sanchez were in the middle of an adoption. The pastor told Franz everyone is broken in some way, and for him it was the sexual orientation he had chosen; they decided to never go back. The search for a new church began, leading them to MCC. Franz, Sanchez and their sons have been attending MCC since January 2010.for about three years now and rarely miss a Sunday. “We immediately felt right at home and the love and non judgment we felt was overwhelming… to the point of some tears shed,” said Franz. The couple enjoys helping with ministries such as ushering, helping with children’s programs and raising money for the AIDS Walk and Run San Diego. Many aspects of worship at MCC

are familiar to chapel at PLNU, from upbeat singing, contemporary music, prayer, reading of scripture and an open communion. “The good news of God’s inclusive love is shown through allowing people of all faith and backgrounds to participate in communion,” said Koeshall. As worship starts at the later 11:00 a.m. service, Gabriel squirms in his seat next to his dads, he plays with a braided bracelet he made until he is dismissed for Sunday school along with the other children. Gabriel has attended MCC since he was 3 years old and Lazarus just started going, since Franz and Sanchez adopted him ten months ago. Franz says he and Sanchez “both want the boys to know Christ. We want to do everything we can so that our sons are not only good men but good Christians who love others without judging them. We can’t promise they will always walk in Christ’s footsteps,

but we at least can promise them a childhood that is Christ centered.” During the week, the boys pray before every meal. Lazarus enjoys having Bible stories read to him from the children’s Bible that has its place on the family’s coffee table. The story of David and Goliath is his favorite, as well as Zacchaeus, the tax collector who climbed a Sycamore tree; Lazarus likes it because the family sings a song together about him. As service comes to a close with song, communion is set up. The children come back from Sunday school to meet with their families and are invited to take part in communion. Koeshall introduces communion as the body and blood of Christ “as we each understand that to be.” This opens communion up for people of all faith and backgrounds to participate. Franz and Sanchez don’t want Gabriel and Lazarus to take part in communion yet, because they want them to understand what it really means. It is important that communion is not a routine for them. Franz and Sanchez take their communion together at the front of the sanctuary with Koeshall and pray together, putting their hands on each other’s back. Franz and Sanchez have a firm belief that God put them together. “I love my family so much,” said Franz. I can’t describe the love I feel…there are no words for it. I thank God in my prayers everyday for our family.” The boys were both adopted Lazarus in 2013, and Gabriel in 2007. Franz and Sanchez both want their sons to know how special they are, how much they love them, and how much God loves them. “They know that they were chosen and that it was God’s plan,” says Franz. The couple thinks this will give them strength and confidence later on in school and in life should they find any opposition to them being raised by two dads.

“The past month in Brussels, Belgium has been a whirlwind of adventure, newness, and undefinable moments! I’ve been racking my brain for an accurate description of my new home and this feat has ended wordless. The international vibe, delicious food, and quirks of this often overlooked European city have made these past few weeks unforgettably grand!” -Savannah Lee

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SARAH DRIER Senior societal communication major Savannah Lee has spent one month studying in Brussells, Belgium. This is her second time studying abroad. Her sophomore fall semester she studied in London with the Winderls for London Term. She is pictured here exploring the Grand Palace in Brussels.

monday, september 15, 2014 | the point

A&E | 5

a&e

PLAN YOUR WEEK

Women take on the summer box office

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS /FLICKR Nicole Perlman, cowriter of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” poses with the female lead in the film at the World Premiere in July. BY JORDAN LIGONS A&E EDITOR

The movie theatre was possibly one of the coolest places to spend your weekend this summer: the air conditioning blasting, popcorn flowing, and the soft drinks refreshing. However, not many people in America felt the same way. According to Forbes, sum-

mer 2014 box-office sales flopped with a grand total of $4.05 billion for the season, a 14.6% decrease from the year prior, which continues an eightyear decline. Nevertheless, there was one bright light in this grimness—women. Interestingly enough, women lead the box office in profits and in major motion pictures this summer. This season usu-

ally belongs to action films and men dominating the ticket stubs. Nonetheless, Tom Cruise’s “Edge of Tomorrow” and the all-star cast of “Expendables 3” didn’t do so hot. Angelina Jolie as the evil-turnedgood “Maleficent” brought in $238 million worldwide. While Shailene Woodley starred in the film adaptation of “The Fault in Our Stars” earning $286 million; she was also a box-office hit earlier this year with “Divergent.” Scarlett Johansson surprised moviegoers with “Lucy” as the action-packed leading lady grossed $270 million worldwide. Communications professor Alan Hueth suggests that the box office today is truly genre driven. There are many factors such as rating, demographic, and audience that are important in predicting this trend. “Story always wins, no matter the gender,” Hueth said. Maybe it just comes down to the simple fact that women are better consumers than men. “Romantic Comedies is the most popular genre because 19-49 yearolds make the determination of how the money is spent in the household,” Hueth said. Eighty-two percent of the pre-

miere audience for “The Fault in Our Stars” were women. Eighty percent of those women were under the age of 25. Over the past year, “Gravity,” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” “Frozen” and “Maleficent” have taken in a combined $3.6 billion worldwide, according to the database Box Office Mojo. Coming up, Warner Bros. is finally taking a chance on Wonder Woman, and Columbia Pictures is interested in an all-female remake of “Ghostbusters,” according to the New York Times. Hueth also mentioned that women are breaking out in the screenwriting industry. The big summer hit “Guardians of the Galaxy” was written by Nicole Perlman, which totaled a whopping $280 million domestic and $273 million overseas, Box Office Mojo reports. She wrote her first draft while she was still in Marvel’s writing program in 2009; she is the first woman with writing credit on a Marvel movie. “They kept saying, ‘This is a guy’s movie.’ I didn’t want to say, ‘Are you saying a woman can’t write a guy’s movie?’” Perlman recalled to Time in July. “What is a guy’s movie anyway? If you’re making a movie that’s just for one gender, what’s the point?’”

Senior Kayla Morales has a theatre minor and aspires to be an actress one day. She played the leading lady in last semester’s “Dark Matter.” She finds comfort in these numbers. “This makes me feel hopeful not only in the aspects of art, but in society in general,” said Morales. Linda Beail, the director of the Women’s Studies department, would agree. “I will be even more heartened when there are so many women alongside men in these roles (acting, writing, directing) that it’s not a novelty or a news story, but simply normal,” said Beail. “I am somewhat hopeful that we are seeing a real shift, and not just a temporary blip in this moment, toward taking women seriously as writers, directors and bankable stars who can carry a movie, and that we will see even more of this.” Women were abundant in the box office this summer and truly made their mark with the revenue their films brought in. Maybe this past season foreshadows a trend of women in Hollywood continuing to make their imprint on showbiz in more ways than one by either screenwriting like Perlman or full action- packed adventure like “Lucy.” Stayed tuned.

Meet our new worship interns BY KENDALL BOSHART STAFF WRITER

It’s 8:25 on the first day of class and students file past Brown Chapel on their way to class. Even though it’s not time for chapel yet, they can hear music coming from inside as George Williamson, director of worship ministries, and the worship leaders under him have already begun practicing for the morning’s chapel. Of these worship leaders, there are a select few who take on more responsibility by applying for the worship internship program. Becoming an intern with PLNU

BRAD KOUNTER

Worship Ministries requires a lengthy application process and once accepted, interns are expected to take on a lot of responsibility. This year the three returning interns welcomed five new students: junior Hailey Fulcher, junior James Bishop, senior Taylor Austin, sophomore Heidi Baeza, and junior Brad Kounter. “I get to observe people’s leadership skills in the mundane stuff,” said Williamson. “I’m looking for people with servant hearts, communication skills, good musicianship, and a recognition that our theology impacts how we approach ministry.” Two of the newly initiated wor-

ship interns, junior James Bishop and senior Hailey Fulcher, both agree that being a worship intern involves a lot of preparation and serious prayer, but also a lot of fun “When we’re asked to lead in music for a chapel or timeout, there is a lot of time and energy that is spent putting everything together,” said Bishop. “In my short experience with this, [it] has been a pretty serious responsibility…but I am absolutely loving every bit of it.” Bishop sees his efforts as an offering to the Lord and likes to let Him work in the hearts of students, faculty and staff while he’s onstage.

HAILEY FULCHER

“There’s something really cool about working really hard at creating something, and then giving it away, especially for the purposes of God,” said Bishop. “[I pray] for God’s will to be done, because let’s be real, that is going to be so much better than anything I come up with on my own.” Fulcher explained that interning has also been a large addition to her already busy schedule but that she loves the support she gets from her fellow interns. “The combination of being a worship intern as well as a nursing student can make my weeks pretty busy,” said Fulcher. “The week involves picking

JAMESS BISHOP

the songs we will sing, putting together chord charts, putting together the PowerPoint, and much more, but it has been a joy to get to go deep with my fellow interns.” Bishop said his favorite thing about interning is the way their worship reaches into people’s lives and engages them. “It’s crazy to think that your efforts can have some sort of impact, large or small, on this community to help peers and friends realize God’s presence in their lives,” said Bishop. “That’s probably my favorite thing.”

the point | monday, september 15, 2014

6 | SPORTS

sports

UPCOMING EVENTS

9/18: Volleyball vs, Fresno Pacific 9/20: Volleyball vs, Holy Names 9/20: Soccer vs. Fresno Pacific 9/20: Cross Country vs. Aztec

9/22: W. Golf vs. Western New Mexico Invitational

Q&A with women’s freshman soccer player Sami Swanson

PHOTO COURTESY OF PLNU SPORTS INFORMATION BY LOUIS SCHULER STAFF WRITER

Half of the starting lineup for the women’s soccer team this season are freshmen. At last week’s game against CSU Dominguez Hills, two of those freshmen, Sami Swanson and Jennifer Ballez, scored the first goals of the sea-

son to win the game, 2-0. The Point sat down with Sami Swanson to discuss her goals, adjustment to college, and camaraderie with the team. The Point: How exciting was your first career goal in college? What was it like? Swanson: It was crazy! I’ve never scored anything like that. I was never

the goal scorer in club, but being on a team where everyone wants to set you up for a goal, and everyone being so selfless, it was awesome—basically everything went in slow motion. The Point: How does the overall chemistry of this team compare to your team in high school? Swanson: It’s black and white. When I came and first visited, I didn’t know anybody’s grade levels or anything, but everyone’s so friendly, and they really wanted to know about me as a person before they knew me as a player. It’s crazy because it’s only been a month and three weeks or so since I’ve been on the team, and so far Natalie Swift has been absolutely incredible. Just being around them has already changed me as a person on and off the field. My coach was saying how it’s been a different chemistry every year, but being on this team is the most unique thing I’ve experienced— I feel like I’ve gained 23 sisters. I feel that’s part of our drive, as with success

in practice and games so far. The Point: How did this goal compare to others in the past? Are you usually known for headers or boots? Swanson: I’ve never scored a header before; that’s why it felt like slow motion in the moment. If I ever scored a goal, it was me shooting it. But afterwards I felt like it was a team goal. That’s why right after I scored I yelled that we did it! The Point: Could you describe the play? Was it written up? Swanson: Basically, Dottie [Rhoten] beat the defender as I was coming around the back post and then made a run to the near post [of the goal]. Then after I screamed her name, she played a perfect ball in. It couldn’t have been placed any better. After I headed it, I couldn’t believe it went in, but she did all the work by putting it in the right place. The Point: Taking a step back, how has the adjustment been so far

from high school to college? Swanson: Definitely a lot more responsibility. There’s a lot more room to give into temptations—the cafeteria with all of its desserts especially. But I think having a bunch of girls who have been here [at PLNU] for a while on the team, raising me here in San Diego, has made me feel like this place is home already for me. That was pretty much like the first week of training camp. They have been guiding me and teaching me. It’s basically like a dream: go to school and play soccer. The Point: What are your personal goals for the 2014-2015 season? Swanson: The team goal is to beat APU for sure. For personal goals, I just want to score and get a lot of assists this season, but overall beat APU, grow as a team and win the conference. See Swanson play at her next home game September 16 against UCSD.

Women’s volleyball has a rough start at RECAP Seaside and GNAC/Pac West Crossover SCORES FROM WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

BY CONNOR LARSON STAFF WRITER

PLNU women’s volleyball team finished their opening weekend with a bang. After struggling to get off on the right foot in their first match – dropping a tough game 3-1 to Metro State – the girls went on to win three straight matches to close out the Seaside Invitational. Alyssa Dwyer, a senior middle blocker for the Sea Lions cited nerves and confidence as conflicting factors in their opener. “Each individual on the team experiences nerves differently, but as a whole I feel we are confident in our abilities,” said Dwyer. That confidence may have cost them their first match of the season as Dwyer said they got too comfortable going into the second set against Metro State. A total of 22 errors plagued the squad in their loss. However, the team picked themselves up and put on a clinic in their next three matches, minimizing their errors while only dropping one set. Junior outside hitter Heather Leavitt was the key cog offensively racking up 12, 11, and 15 kills against Cal State Monterey Bay, Saginaw Valley State, and Cal State Dominguez Hills, respectively. Dwyer added a stellar 19 kills in the final match of the weekend against Dominguez Hills. “This past weekend was a good starting point individually and as a team, but there is always room for improvement,” Dwyer said. That is just what the team seeks to do with the high expectations coming off a NCCAA championship last year.

Seaside Invitational vs. Metro State L 1-3 vs. Cal State Monterey Bay W 3-0 vs. Saginaw Vallley State W 3-0 vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills W 3-1

PHOTO COURTESY OF PLNU SPORTS INFORMATION Delaney McCraney digs while Christa Fisher and Briana Vieth support their teammate to the back and to the side.

“The expectations at Point Loma are high every season; this year is no exception,” Dwyer said. With a experienced and decorated veteran squad, Dwyer and the rest of the team have their eyes set on a NCAA Division II title. “The only difference this year is that we have been there and accomplished our goals at the NCCAA level,” Dwyer said. “Now it’s time for us to do the same at the NCAA Division II level.” The team lost all four of their recent games at the GNAC/PacWest Crossover Challenge in Riverside,

CA September 11-13. They played Northwest Nazarene University, Central Washington University, Alaska Anchorage University and Western Washington University. Head Coach Jonathan Scott said that both tournaments were extremely competitive by every team that attended. As for PLNU team, they were unable to pull a victory from the PacWest/GNAC Crossover Challenge, but had a successful Seaside Invite. “Our main strength was our offensive firepower, but that was also our main weakness,” Scott said. “ We have one of the best offenses in the coun-

try when we are under control, but we also get into ruts where we pile up the unforced errors and hand too many points to the opposition.” The most recent tournament, Scott said, will be used as a learning experience. “We were able to learn a lot of things about ourselves as well as top regional competition, and we are excited to see how quickly we can make adjustments and get back on track,” he said. “We are prepared to have a very strong season going forward. Now it’s a matter of execution.”

GNAC PAC West Crossover Challenge vs.Northwest Nazarene L 1-3 vs. Central Washington L 0-3 vs. Alaska Anchorage L 0-3 vs. Western Washington L2-3

monday, september 15, 2014 | the point

SPORTS | 7

‘Welcome to not sports’ BY KATIE CALLAHAN STAFF WRITER

The words, “Welcome to the eSports club,” were written on the first panel of the chalkboard in one of the classrooms of Ryan Learning Center as 18-20 students walked into the room Wednesday evening, Zelda and Pokémon music playing in the background. More amusing were the words written on the other side of the board, “Welcome to not sports.” A latecomer walked in a bit later to ask, “Is this the Furbies of Point Loma meeting?” From here, the meeting continued by announcing the game heads, or those who would lead the gamers into the cyber worlds of popular games – World of Warcraft, Pokémon, League of Legends, Counterstrike, Super Smash Bros, Hearthstone, Magic the

Gathering, Call of Duty, Magic, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy and Heroes of the Storm. The club’s officers are senior Josh Lam, junior Alex Minoofar, senior Ian Stubbs, sophomore Cam Wilkins, sophomore Lucas Ustick, sophomore Percival Luke Verayo, sophomore Luke Scianna and senior Jake Crocicchia. TeSPA PLNU eSports is one of the first 20 national chapter memberships of The eSports Association, or TeSPA. TeSPA is the largest network of collegiate talent in eSports. There are over 60 national chapters associated with this organization across North America and two or three in Canada. TeSPA PLNU eSports will also partner with local colleges, like UCSD and USD. TeSPA also provides free swag and funding to the club for events. Last se-

mester, 10 of the best chapters went to Austin, Texas to run and network one of the biggest collegiate tournaments, Lone Star Clash 3, all expenses paid. PLNU was one of them. “TeSPA is our overlord. They are our BFFs right now,” said junior Alex Minoofar, vice president and Riot coordinator. In addition to TeSPA, the club plans to connect with Riot and Blizzard gaming and Pokémon league to account for funds, sponsors for events and benefits of membership in their collegiate clubs. The League of Legends team will also occasionally stream their games using the gaming platform, Twitch. Formed in January, the club works by raid calling and setting up tournaments or meetings to conquer game content together. That could be through Facebook or even through

local online tournaments or national tournaments. One individual, who attended one meeting with the club last year semester, went on to win a pre-release Pokémon tournament after having only ever played at the meeting. “We hope to overcome the stigma associated with online and competitive gaming that it is not an antisocial activity, but rather a strong and valuable community,” the club’s website, tespa. org/plnu states. “We are accepting of all who want to bring their game to the group. Additionally, we acknowledge the gaming and online community is not a Godly place, and represents to us a great opportunity for ministry.” Senior Josh Lam, the president of the club and TeSPA coordinator, said that this group allows the PLNU gaming population to meet together to discuss and enjoy the games students love together.

“We want to provide an area to get to go, whether a game, going out to dinner, getting ice cream and building a tight knit community with people of the same interests across campus,” Lam said. The group talked of everything from giving to charity for the number of hours gamed to participating in gaming marathons whilst taking it on as a personal challenge to game 32 hours straight. “We hope to meet to tackle content together,” said senior Jack Crocicchia, the World of Warcraft game coordinator. Their first on-campus tournament will be the FIFA14 Tournament. The entry fee is $5. The club has yet to set a date for the tournament, but it is planned for within the next month.

SEA LION SCORES Men’s Soccer:

Women’s Soccer:

Women’s Volleyball:

9/12: Loss 0-1, vs. Cal State

9/13: Loss 0-2. vs. Cal State L.A.

See scores on page 6.

L.A.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PLNU eSPORTS PLNU TeSPA eSports looks for gamers at NSO.

the point | monday, september 15, 2014

8 | OPINION

opinion The Poetry Corner Love is a light

Katie Callahan // Editor-In-Chief Brittany Naylor // News Editor Sam Watkins // Features Editor Louis Schuler // Sports Editor Jordan Ligons // A&E Editor

Reflection

Arthur Shingler // Opinion Editor Abbey Stewart // Copy Editor Grace Bailey // Design Editor Michelle Ito // Assistant Design Editor Jake Henry // 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 ashingler000@pointloma.edu.

This original linoleum block print and watercolor was created for The Point to accompany “Love is a light.”

BY RILEY FIELDS SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR

BY JONATHAN PICKETT SOPHOMORE CONTRIBUTOR

sunlight pours onto my face in the light afternoon holy baptism of love in this fine, late June I bathe for awhile – reflect on the light acknowledging love is the luminescent prerequisite for my sight particles scatter through the air and make way to my skin makes me feel like the warmth inside me is worth something I want to scatter my light to more parts of the earth so that my soul might be lighter in the end. that’s my worth sometimes i feel lost and hopeless I'm on an island, coastless And entropy Is working against me But I know deep inside This little light of mine i'll just keep shining my light i'll just keep shining his light love is a light & I want to be where the light is.

We are all artists BY DARIN VERA SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR

Sometimes I notice people are hesitant to label themselves as artists. It has become a phrase of prestige or even pompousness. However, real art has no elitism. You want to know if you are an artist; you, the reader? You, the Voice speaking in your head as you read these words? The answer is simple: an artist is one who realizes that thinking and creating are two verbs to describe the same action. To think is to make. Your thoughts *are* creation. Once you realize this fact, you become an artist. In our basic instincts of thought, questioning and desire to be unique, we often forget, or fall unaware of this truth that frees us. Not only would I say it frees us, but it serves as an example of how we are all connected by a precious gift. It enhances

our abilities to think, question and fulfill our desire to be unique. This simple acceptation of the creative potential we all hold comes with a realization that the ability to be an artist is not limited to any one person and the triviality of ‘artist’ as a title becomes equally clear. Some such as myself may argue that creation and the creative ability is a divine gift. I believe it is a way in which we are created in the image of the One who first created us. Though we may not form matter from nothing, nor the earth or stars, we are given an imagination from birth. Keeping this in mind, being an “artist” may come down to a matter of intention and realization. When we realize the spiritual gift that we are bestowed, the individual is equalized and unison elevates over these marginalizing levels we place over ourselves and other artists.

A sense of residing in a state higher or lower than anyone by deduction of comparison has no place in the world of art. This means that whether you are the one feeling a sense of more artistic ability, or the one feeling a sense of less artistic ability, the point was missed. As with many misunderstandings in life, the illusion of the presence of a negative is simply the lack of a much-needed positive. Darkness is no more than the absence of light, just as cold is the lacking of heat. Fear is the absence of acceptance. In the present case, we are lacking humility, or on the countering end, confidence. This lacking manifests when one insists on the superiority or inferiority of one or another’s expression. Authority to place value isn’t our own. Maybe it is just a case of tunnel vision. We should be diligent in embracing His gift in all its beautifully subjective forms.

Such is the rainbow of humanity and art together. We may argue our favorite color in a rainbow, but is your choice better or worse than that of anyone else? Artistry is found when a realization is made regarding the ability of creating and the human mind. It is not a tactile element or a learning requirement. Being an artist is as simple as recognizing yourself as such, accepting our natural impulse for creation through both thought and action. I say impulse because we never cease from thinking. Embrace this with peace, and you may have yet to find a hidden spring of creativity given to you through the thumbprint of the Creator. Be noble to express the creativity He gave you!

Dear reader, Welcome back! This year, you may notice that the headline is down a word, “Weekly.” As our newspaper becomes increasingly digital with lomabeat.com, content will become daily so we changed the name to reflect that. We, as a staff, are also looking to increase our student-generated content. That means you and your friends can now submit memes, listicles (yes, like Buzzfeed), poetry, short stories, #lomachatters (see examples from your staff below), photos and opinion articles to The Point and we will publish them as we see fit either in the print edition or online at lomabeat.com. Already online you can see videos of D Group dancing to High School Musical (impressively enough) or “9 thoughts every senior has about freshmen as told by Tina Fey” (see if they’re true!). We want this newspaper to be your newspaper for information and for entertainment. Please let us know if there is anything we can do help you as a staff. Looking forward to hearing from you! The Point Editors

#LomaChatter

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

Text your #LomaChatter to 619-478-7065! Examples from last year

Darin Vera is a senior communications major and music minor. He likes music, art and meditation.

No wonder Golden got the gym named after him. God wouldn’t tolerate a Golden Caf. Highest praise for the morning shuttle drivers [Insert Caf Complaint Here] So that first week, huh?

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 foundational preparation for professional counseling with individuals, couples, and families, all in a convenient location. Professionally active faculty weave spirituality and values throughout the curriculum, which aligns with California licensure requirements, and you can finish the program in two, three, or four years—the choice is yours.

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

Apply today! Deadline is October 1.

Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology:

Marriage and Family Therapy 16545

October 1_10x4_MFT_16545.indd 1

9/5/14 9:22 AM