Volume 22 Issue 11: Issue

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M A R S’ H I L L

ISSUE VO LUM E 22

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M A R . 2 8/ 18


FROM THE EDITOR

MARS’ H I L L

a negative or critical response in some manner. This in turn, made me feel like all I could ever offer was something critical or negative, and slowly but surely, this changed my view about our campus. In the same way, we cannot operate out of a place of fakeness or hide our collective heads in the sand - yes, this place has issues. I cannot deny that. I have issues, you have issues, it is part of what makes us human, but we most certainly do not have to dwell on them.

MARS’ HILL Mars’ Hill is a student publication of Trinity Western University, floated with funds raised by the Student Association. Mars’ Hill seeks to be a professional and relevant student publication, reflecting and challenging the TWU community, while intentionally addressing local, national and international issues. MISSION TO MARS The mission of Mars’ Hill, as the official student newspaper of Trinity Western University, is to inform and entertain its readers, cultivate awareness of issues concerning the TWU community and provide a forum for purposeful, constructive discussion among its members in accordance with the Community Covenant, Statement of Faith, and Core Values of the University.

This is where I want to encourage you to operate from a place of gratitude. But...no airy fairy crap, and no faking it either. If you genuinely don’t like something, speak up about it, but try and do it from a place of humility and grace. There’s no point in arguing over an issue if there’s nothing wrong with it - go waste your time somewhere else. Yes, as a student, you pay a lot to be here, but we also get a lot more than what millions of other people get throughout the world. Whether you realize it or not, we are privileged.

EDITORIAL POLICY Mars’ Hill encourages submissions and letters to the Editor. Mars’ Hill reserves the right to edit submissions for style, brevity and compatibility with the Mission, Statement of Faith, the Community Community Covenant, and the Core Values of the University. Anonymous authorship of any material may be granted at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.

With a hint of irony, we present to you our last “issue” of Mars’ Hill Volume 22. While the school year is not yet over, our time writing, debating, and presenting news and information to you is drawing to a close. With every season’s end comes a tinge of bitter sweetness, but also the opportunity to think back to the moments and lessons learned throughout the past eight months. Here are three of those lessons and ideas that I pray will continue to grow and evolve here on this campus.

Opinions expressed in Mars’ Hill belong to the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, Trinity Western University, its officials or its Student Association. CONTRIBUTORS Jared Barkman Mikah Feunekes Craig Broyles Emma Dykstra Anika Zimmerman Adaolisa Agu Monet Lamphere Tanner Hulsebus Rona De Graaf Kennedy Dragt Eric Stein Heather Grace Collins Deryk Kirchner Andrew Richmond Danica Steenkamp Hannah Ahrendt

7600 Glover Rd, Langley, BC, V2Y 1Y1 604-513-2109 marshill@gmail.com www.marshill.ca

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Loranne Brown

This issue brought to you by Low maintenance girlfriends Big girl mugs

Lesson Number 1: In a recent interview with one of Mars’ Hill’s founders, Bruce Beck, I was reminded of the phrase, “canary in a coal mine.” Like the early warning signal used in coal mines, the canary represents a metaphor for students: if an institution is meant to be for higher learning (and potentially research), mainly by and for the students, then the students are the

early warning signal for situations gone wrong. My hope is that this mentality would continue. Students are the heartbeat of a university, and perhaps even more so in this specific place we call home. With that being said, Mars’ Hill serves as that exact platform for that early warning signal, and I hope you understand the potential there is for your voice to be heard. Read more about Bruce Beck explaining this concept in our Q&A session, found on page 15 under Areopagitica. Lesson Number 2: I have come to realize that criticism is inevitable, regardless of whether it’s constructive or unproductive. Like finding a church, there will always be something you don’t like, something that doesn’t sit right, or something to complain about. In receiving feedback from people about the paper, we nearly almost received

Lesson Number 3: The dream only happens if there is a team driving it forward. In fact, Deryk Kirchner talks about this in this issue’s article about our men’s hockey team and their “ship.” This is why, instead of my usual photo, you will find a photo of our team; the Mars’ Hill masthead. Every person, including you as a reader or contributor, helps make this paper what it is. You’re the ones who submit content, you’re the ones who stay up late at night copy editing and typing news stories, you’re the ones who go to games and hang around the community for local information. You’re it, and this is yours. This really does matter. Don’t ever forget that. My very best, Katie Maryschuk

THE TEAM

ALEX GUST

Managing Editor

BROOKE PATTYN Layout Editor

TORI AHRENDT Visual Editor

JAMISON DERKSEN Sports Editor

NIKI MARA

Academy Editor

JOEL REDEKOP

Arts & Culture Editor

SABINE HENDERSON MAYA JUSMAN Humour Editor

Illustration Editor

What is your name?

HANNAH DEVRIES Chief Copy Editor

MADISON POWERS Photo Editor

BAILEY MARTENS Web Editor

DAYNA SLUSAR

Social Media Manager

CHRISALEEN CIRO News Editor

RYAN SCHAFFRICK Advertising and Finance Manager


DE-CLASSIFIEDS The sun has been out for five minutes and campus has suddenly transformed into a jungle of hammocks. Nobody wastes time here.

when someone sends you an article 2 hours after asking them to write = happy happy editor :) (the rest of you trin-folk have much to live up to)

“girls shouldn’t wear leggings on campus”, good thing I’m not paying 11k a semester so you can have something to look at, now move along haters you’re in the way of my degree

can u keep this classified ok thx

Has anyone seen Hannah Unger?

“I’m not an HKIN major what the heck BuzzFeed”

in this issue: disgruntled people talking about parking If you make it through a Tuesday without exclaiming “it’s onLY TUESDAY” is it really Tuesday?

***cut this out and paste it to someone’s door to remind them to drink water***

Senior Claim to Fame: never had a DTR walk around the pond Senior Claim to Fame: Brandon Bustard never flirted with me

COMMUNITY CORNER

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Kyle says thanks if you ask him how the gym was - That’s my roommate. - Alex Saw Riley Voth wear socks to bed...nice RA selections MISSING: blue and bright orange North Face tent. I left it next to my hammock while I left to go get a marshmallow square. please return to student life IMMEDIATELY. MY LIFE SAVINGS!!! Most Palone is coming to trinity chapel on tuesday i hear ALEX’S SALT COLLECTION:

Do the children know about ratemyprofessors. com?

Senior Claim to Fame: completed a four year degree in four years

In which I gather all of the declassifieds that were submitted at or around the same time by one very salty individual who obviously wished to appear as if they are many different people.

“15 ways to be the best leprechaun leader this year” —chapel this week

Senior Claim to Fame: Made toast properly every time without setting off any fire alarms

This issue, our topic is “Mark Van Elk.” Enjoy!

I dont know what the last issue was about, but Monique is going to do a great job because she is smart and a go-getter. Maybe hard working friendly people become popular for a reason... #letsbepositiveTWU

Senior Claim to Fame: 2 confirmed goose captures

Saw Mark Van Elk drink milk today. what a fake

Senior Claim to Shame: no ring yet it is spring

Rumour has it Mark Van Elk is a closet milk drinker.

Fraser girl starter pack: 1. Salt 2. Salt 3. Salt 4. Lincoln Nikkel Poster Fraser girls are just chapped because our RD didn’t leave us... #teampaul

Senior Claim to Fame: 11 normal interactions with Glen Hansen Senior Rite of Passage: countless abnormal interactions with Glen Hansen Senior Claim to Fame: Swore more than Cal Townsend in one of his classes.

Sorry Joe Sylvain, I gave up sweets for Lent. But I’ll see you at the Easter Vigil ;)

I get really sad when Alex doesn’t post my declassifieds or like my tweets :( - I’m sorry Jared. - Alex

corduroy is the denim of the now corduroy is the denim of the future

I’m not even playing gotcha and I’m so paranoid #secondhandstress

So tired of jealous Fraser RAD beefing Douglas frat. #swingfirstmon #ffraser

cool date idea: do my rels homework for me and then leave

Can we just take a moment and realize how amazingly pretty the female Marshill staff are?

LET MY MEAL PLAN LAST FOUR YEARS OR I’LL FIGHT THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS WITH MY OWN TWO FISTS

8:37 is the midnight of now Roses are red, Violets are blue, Taxation is theft, and tariffs are too. Update: We have not found Hannah Unger yet. If one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects. Not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. Did you know that every time you post a declassified, your computer takes a snapshot of your face and sends it to the editors along with your post? - It’s true. - Alex With a 16% chance of winning each year the Hockey team finally did. Heres to another 12 year draught Congratulations on full professorship Dr. Clarke! I know you’ll see this, since you bring this section up every other lecture. Cory McNulty is literally perfection. I always see him studying and I just wish he would look up and notice me, if only for a second. i’m glad you saved $160 on coupons, but not tipping isn’t very Christian-like. #bitterwaitress It’s not meme (meem), it’s meme (mehmeh).

How is it possible that TRAC can still sell shirts? Hasn’t everybody already bought five? can’t wait to see the declassifieds - Me too. Alex Parking... Don’t even get me started - a frustrated commuter <3 “The middle of March is a great time to block of the most filled up parking spot on campus” -someone probably Men’s hockey... about time. Now start winning in the ladies department please You think everyone in the library uses earphones so you bring nuts but then not everyone in the library uses earphones… It’s funny when you go to the library and there are so many bookshelves with signs on them that say BS BS BS BS... I mean no it’s not funny #someonedidntgotopreschool the library is such a good place for cultivation and nurturing of declassifieds I feel like I meet a new Boehmer every week Tonight I am alone and desperate. There is no one around to hold me tight. I haven’t felt the touch of a woman in over a year. My greatest fear is that I will die without having felt the warm embrace of the female variety.

Mars’ Hill editors reserve the right to edit or reject submissions based on content and/or length. A printed submission does not necessarily reflect an endorsement of any kind, nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions of Mars’ Hill staff, the student association, or that of the University. In fact, probably not. Andrew - Andrew x2

Someone find Mark Van Elk an eye patch. So question...how did Mark Van Elk get poked in the eye… Ask Mark Van Elk to pin the tail on the donkey

In this issue ...

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16

IN MEMORIAM JAKE KROONTJE News MEET THE NEW EIC FOR ‘18/’19 News ISSUES OF FREE SPEECH Feature CANARY IN A COAL MINE: Q&A WITH MARS’ HILL CO-FOUNDER Areopagitica SAILING THE SHIP FOR THE GLORY Sports


ICP WITHOUT THE GLOBE

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also made several recent hires—such as Jenn Skelding, the new Head of the Learning Commons and Richard Taylor, the new head of Student Life. Each of these new hires reflects Trinity’s growth and priorities for the future.

NEWS

One of the most significant changes— to the international student population, at least—was announced to the Intercultural Program’s team the weekend after the incident at the diversity workshop. On their January retreat, the team was told that ICP would be phasing out the Globe.

CHRISALEEN CIRO chrisaleen.ciro@gmail.com

CHRISALEEN CIRO

“Instead of students coming to the Globe, the Globe needs to go to the students,” according to Ed Burne. On a rainy Thursday, early in the spring semester, student leaders were invited to a seminar led by Burne. The theme was “diversity,” and the speaker had previously shared his experience at Azuza Pacific in Chapel throughout the week. After he finished his talk, leaders were given the opportunity to ask questions. Members of Trinity’s Intercultural Program team brought up the Globe, and he shared his concerns. He explained that he had used a similar model—a space geared toward African-American students—and ultimately failed at his goal to promote reconciliation between the African-American and white students on campus. He expressed his opinion that the Globe might be doing the same. Members of the Intercultural Programs team were impacted by the speaker’s words, and sought him out after the program ended to discuss the differences between Mr. Burne programming and the vision behind the Globe. Several weeks later, with reading break behind us, class schedules and the majority of student leadership positions announced, most of campus is eagerly anticipating the new year. Significant changes are impending.

Most students are accustomed to passing the building, adorned with festive flags, on their way to Chapel or classes in Northwest. Traditionally the Globe has been home to four student leaders, lovingly referred to as “Globies,” two boys and two girls. Between the hours of 10am and 10pm on weekdays (excluding reading breaks and during finals), the Globe is open to students of all ethnicities and nationalities, but the space is particularly tailored to welcome international students. The space has a public kitchen, video games, board games and a fairly consistent community of friends.

universities in North America. While the audit did not explicitly mention the Globe, it did express disappointment about the vision behind Intercultural Programs and the general position of the international community on campus. As a result, according to Carson Pue, interim Vice-President of Student Life, the school decided to address this problem by intentionally hiring staff members who are sensitive to the needs of international students, and passionate about their inclusion. Therefore, Richard Taylor, one of the founders of Wellspring, a school in Rwanda, was a natural candidate for the role of Head of Student Life. Taylor’s vision is to form a new department of Global Engagement, which would oversee Global Projects, ICP and

possibly Richmond’s office of Student Life. Both Pue and Taylor want to see Trinity Western’s engagement with culture and diversity to be one of our distinguishing factors. One of the tangible goals for this program will be the intentional inclusion of international students in student leadership roles. Theoretically, if international students are included in leadership, they will naturally encourage other international students to participate in Community Life. When I asked Pue, and Colton Martin, who stepped in to Matt Keller’s role, why the Globe did not fit into this vision, Pue suggested that new vision for ICP was far more “grandiose,” and Martin suggested that the new vision for ICP was moving away from its inward focus, toward outreach.

The decision to close the Globe was surprising, and deeply devastating to some members of our community. Further complicating ICP’s future, and signalling more change, towards the end of first semester, Matt Keller, who has been the head of ICP for for the best several years, was offered a different position off campus. Mandy Wang, who has worked alongside Matt for the past few years was promoted to Matt’s position. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, Mandy resigned just after reading break as well. As it turns out, Burne hit the nail on the head: Student Life is concerned that the Globe was ineffective at fostering relationships between national and international students. Even if the Globe is practically in the centre of campus, many North American students rarely, if ever, step foot there.

Several beloved members of staff—in- In 2016, Student Life underwent an aucluding Resident Directors, Scott Werdall, dit to determine how the school’s proMichelle Stephen, Kelly Lamb, and Jo- gramming compared to other Christian hannah Wetzel, the head of Global Projects—are moving on. Trinity Western has

IN MEMORIAM: JAKE KROONTJE JARED BARKMAN On March 14th, Jake Kroontje, a firstyear Trinity student, went to be with Jesus. While I never had the pleasure of meeting Jake, his memorial service provided a powerful testimony to the impact that he made on the people around him in his 20 short years. Despite the immense pain, Jake’s memorial was truly a celebration of life, complete with many of his favourite things: Snapple peach tea, flannel shirts, a taco bar, and a heartfelt guitar duo blasted at full volume—just the way he would have wanted.

Jake was an incredible musician; as shared in a tribute to him, one of his greatest desires was to share the love of Christ through the powerful medium of music, which was a lifelong passion of his. Jake was remembered for his innovative pranks, his wit, his unceasing loyalty, and his deep friendships. As one family member shared, “Everyone liked Jake—except Jake.” The service was raw and forthright in its honesty surrounding Jake’s internal battles. Perhaps the most stirring, heartfelt moment of the service was the conclusion that Mrs. Kroontje, Jake’s mother, left us with: “If you don’t know why you’re living today or where you’re going, or if you wish to

die, then for Jake’s sake, for his legacy, come talk to us. With God, things do not necessarily become perfect. We would not be standing here today if that was true. But with God’s perspective, there is no need for the world’s perfection. He gives hope, now.” Jake left a legacy in the way he lived his life, a message that will carry far beyond his death. Through our mourning as a community, may we keep his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers, reflecting on the hope that Christ brings even on the darkest days—as made evident in the life and testimony of Jake Kroontje.

Slim Shady - Ere Santos

Source: https://www.lyndentribune.com/community/ obituaries/jake-kroontje/article_8c575286-2d1d-11e8aaeb-b375e75ff0ac.html


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OP-ED — OPINIONS ON NEW EDIFICES our alumni network—they want to pay it forward. We business people are all about mentorship and networking, and we see great importance in sowing into others.” Another business student, Kyle Baker, says, “…I think a building like this will provide the School of Business with a lot of credibility.” However, some students have also expressed concern that emphasizing the outward appearance of the building—and its visage from the highway—may be vain.

CHRISALEEN CIRO It is no surprise, particularly to those who live on campus, that Trinity Western is experiencing significant growth. The theme of “growth” seems to permeate the majority of issues on campus— from TWUSA raising the student fee, to Student Life staffing decisions, to new buildings springing up in every direction. Commuters and graduate students may experience our growth in different ways, but residents—particularly those who chose apartments for next year this past week—are aware of how this growth has impacted the availability of housing on campus. At his Fireside chat, and State of the University address to staff, President Bob Kuhn introduced Trinity’s “2020 vision.” This vision includes addressing Trinity’s current infrastructural limitations, which

inhibit growth and student retention. Garth Lester, a second year biology student, commented that, "This building represents Trinity’s future students and further growth in student population. As we grow, there will be more individuals with accessibility needs and we need to make sure that their future accommodations are ready for them.” While he was commenting specifically about students with accessibility concerns, he makes a strong argument that our community should view these new buildings as investments in future generations of Trinity Western students. Despite misgivings that the new building would not be finished on time, based on the fiasco with Skidmore Hall, the new building was still a popular choice for those who chose apartments this week. Students are enthusiastic about individual rooms, the relatively spacious quarters, and the opportunity to define the new building’s culture.

Ninety-two percent of students who ended up attending said that their parents were directly involved in their decision to come to Trinity Western. Therefore, part of Trinity Western’s strategy to continue to increase enrollment is to market directly to parents. For most long distance parents, knowing that their children have the opportunity to live on campus, supervised by student leaders with staff members accessible, can go a long way to help ease their concerns. President Kuhn announced that a donor has come forward to fund a new “marquee” School of Business building. The donor wishes for the new building to be an impressive view from the highway. The donor has elected to remain anonymous for the time being. However, as the vision continues to solidify, the patron may come forward. A second year business student commented, “I think this says something about

When they announced both of these projects, administration emphasized their intention to make these buildings accessible. Unsurprisingly, the on-campus advocacy and support network for students with exceptionalities, TWURise, was in favour of the administration’s enthusiasm about the building’s design, and willingness to hear student’s concerns. When approached for comment, representatives from TWURise said, “Accessibility is non-negotiable.” As President Kuhn himself said, this is a private institution, which means that there's a much larger responsibility on the student body and donors to hold the school accountable. TWURise went on to say that, “Our voices help make sure that when big decisions are made, we are considering everyone. It is our responsibility to hold the school accountable to build—in this case, quite literally—the inclusive community that we want Trinity to be.” As students who have the privilege of attending Trinity Western at this pivotal time of growth, it is integral that we—on behalf of future generations of students—use our voices to ensure our interests are represented.

EVERYONE MUST KNOW MIKAH FEUNEKES

It was a hot and muggy afternoon in Papua, Indonesia. I was sitting on the couch in our living room when I heard a knock on the screen door. It was the sister of our current pembantu, or house helper. I called my mom, and she sat outside on the porch with the girl. Their voices filtered through the window screen, but I could only make out a few words. When my mom came back inside, I asked her what had happened.

ety; at the end of 2014, there were 75,500 Canadians living with HIV, an increase of 6,700 people since 2011 (CATIE). While the 2017 report showed a 48% decline in deaths from AIDS-related causes since 2005, it also showed that AIDS-related illness remained the leading cause of death for women of reproductive age.

This story is not unique. HIV/AIDS has been on the rise in Papua for years; everyone has a sibling, parent, friend, or neighbour affected by this disease. However, this problem is not just in Indonesia.

Despite the increasing spread of this disease, there continues to be a lack of proper medical care for those with HIV/AIDS. There are antiretroviral drugs, which can control HIV and keep it from progressing into AIDS, but most people in developing countries do not have access to this medication or are unaware that it must be taken daily to be effective. Many are simply unaware that they have contracted the virus.

According to the organization UNAIDS, there were 36.7 million people living with HIV in 2016. The majority of those with HIV live in developing countries, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa; it was estimated in 2015 that there were 25.6 million people in this region infected with HIV (HIV. gov). Since the emergence of the disease, around 35 million people have died of AIDS- related illnesses (UNAIDS). HIV/ AIDS has also permeated Canadian soci-

In response to this epidemic, members of the missionary community in Papua, Indonesia have collaborated with Indonesian workers to create an HIV/AIDS Awareness campaign called “Semua Harus Tahu,” which means, “Everyone Must Know.” They have published pamphlets, directed films, and organized an informational program to be conducted across the island. There are many clinics that work with Semua Harus Tahu to supply the antiretro-

“I just told her that she has HIV.”

child of God - Nyssa Morgan

viral drugs to those who need it. This campaign, and similar programs in other countries, have slowed the spread of HIV/AIDS and increased the number of people receiving treatment. However, their efforts cannot reach everyone, and the onslaught of the disease continues. In 2016, 1.8 million people contracted HIV (UNAIDS). Though there is no cure, HIV/AIDS can still be prevented. Knowledge about this disease and the treatments available must spread to all corners of the globe for it to be effective. Even more importantly, the stigma against those with HIV/AIDS should be challenged. This is where we come in. It is not our place as Christians to judge those with HIV/AIDS. Instead, we are called to respect and love those who must go through the process of fighting this disease. It is mentally, emotionally, and physically draining, and the ill can often lose the respect from their family, friends, and neighbors. Just as Jesus took pity on the lepers who suffered from both their disease and the disrespect of their society, so should we love and serve those who suffer from HIV/AIDS.


6 CHRISALEEN CIRO Meet Niki Mara, Mars' Hill new Editor-in-Chief for the 2018/19 school year. If you could be any fruit, which would you be and why? I would be the “fruit of the labour” of the bourgeoisie, after the proletariat achieve true equality under Communism. What has been your previous involvement in the Trinity community? In my three years here, I’ve seen Trinity Western from a multitude of different perspectives. First, as a shy freshman just trying to make it to my next geography lab. My first year was formative in many ways, as I slowly discovered for myself what it means to be part of a Canadian Christian community. In my second year, I took on the role of a Heelie-wearing Peer Instructor, who taught her students how to make balloon animals. It was in that year that I discovered a desire to take my odd habits into the school newspaper. This past year, I have had the privilege of being the visionary for the Mars’ Hill Academy section. I was exactly where I wanted to be, where I felt called to be. What is your vision for Mars’ Hill? Mars’ Hill has accomplished amazing things in the past few years, and it is my privilege to build upon the success of my predecessors. There are three big things I

want to focus on in my time as Editor-inChief: 1. I want to create a contributor community. Mars’ Hill has previously had the tradition of searching for contributors high and low, without a specific recruitment guideline, and as fun as that can be, it can also lead to chaos. It’s about time we created a system by which to find and incentivize people to write for us. I want writing an article for Mars’ Hill to be an honor and a privilege, not a strenuous task. 2. The ESL student body is often kept in the shadows, although being one of the largest on our campus. I plan on dedicating a space in Mars’ Hill to let our ESL students speak their mind, in their own language. This goes for all students whose first language is not English. It’s high time we appreciated the multilinguality of our campus within the pages of the student newspaper. 3. I am going to strive for excellence. The only limits we have, as a team of creatives, are the limits we set for ourselves. What we do on the pages of Mars’ Hill is in our hands, and I see no reason for stopping short of an award-winning paper. What is your understanding of the function of Mars’ Hill?

MEET THE 2018/19

mars’ hill EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Starting with mesmerizing visuals and ending with sensational sports reviews, and everything in-between, we have the ability, and the duty, to move hearts and bring to life ideas that would otherwise hide in silence. What compelled you to apply for this position?

Mars’ Hill. I want to do the same for the many other students that want their identity to be appreciated and respected, and that is why I applied for this position. In due time, I will have a magnificent team by my side, and together we will climb to heights that have never been reached before.

My first date with Mars’ Hill was in my first year, when I wrote a severely amateur article about Russian culture. Of course, what else would the local Communist kid write about? After seeing my name in print, and my article etched into history, there was no turning back. I was in love. I came to Trinity, a clueless and utterly shy Russian girl, and I have never felt as accepted and represented as I have on the pages of

I could go back to basics and say that Mars’ Hill strives to create discussion of on-campus and global issues within a Christian context. But that’s not everything. Our student newspaper can do so much more than that - we can inspire.

WHEN IT COMES TO TRUMP, USE YOUR CHRISTIAN LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION (PART 2) CRAIG BROYLES In the Trump era, political discourse has become more passionate, but a liberal arts education encourages us to engage in a more dispassionate quest for truth. There, I went and used that word “liberal,” but that’s what every TWU student signed up for. Liberal arts is intended to liberate the mind so the free

person can participate in public life. “Liberal” pertains more to the method of one’s research, than to one’s ideological conclusions. The journey of expanding one’s horizons and feeling disoriented and homesick, is to be preferred over clicking until one finds a satisfying viewpoint and feels a rush of endorphins. University-level research insists that we explore the spectrum of opinion and that we not dismiss someone’s conclusions until we have weighed their arguments and evidence. As we listen to our opponents, we learn and become more sympathetic. Everyone has a story. To avoid self-deception, we are ever-critical of our presuppositions, methods, and ideologies. We use peer-reviewed resources because they have been properly vetted by experts. We are not fooled by logical fallacies, such as the ad hominem (attacking the person instead of the point), and presuppositional fallacies (e.g., because their assumptions are liberal, their facts and arguments must be skewed). We engage in classroom debate, and we do so respectfully because we see into the eyes of our opponents, and they into ours. “Cognitive complexity” means that sometimes the only adequate approach is a multi-perspectival one. The prophets Amos and Hosea addressed the same audience in Israel. One proclaimed justice, and the other love. Both were right. Americans pledge “liberty and justice for all.” Republicans tend to advocate for the former, and Democrats for the latter. The fact of the matter is, we need each other to maintain balance.

Now I will turn to the departments of the liberal arts university and raise the following questions that pertain to issues in the Trump era. BUSI: Does trickle-down economics really work? Do tax cuts boost the economy or do they pass on a greater deficit to the next generation? In a world of limited goods, is economic growth always a good thing? How can corporations responsibly shape public opinion? POLS: How do we balance government “handouts” and personal incentive? SOCI & POLS: Why do seacoast, cosmopolitan states tend to be blue (Dem), and inland states red (Rep)? Is there really any connection between immigrants and an alleged rise in violent crime in Sweden? NATS: What do your lab reports indicate about human influences on climate change? Did you cheer or jeer the scientists participating in the March for Science (and facts) in DC on Earth Day? NURS: Do you support healthcare tied to employers and for-profit insurers or socialized insurance and universal healthcare? What models do comparable G7 countries follow? RELS: How should the biblical value of hospitality to the sojourner, the refugee, and the stranger (Matthew 25) inform the current debate about refugees and (illegal) immigrants? Is the physical restoration of Israel and Jerusalem really a prerequisite for Christ’s return?

Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. - Connor Thiessen

MCOM: Why do the media tend to be “liberal?” Are they rabble-rousers or more informed, or both? If the Internet was to provide us with more information and populations with a more democratic voice, then why has it become such a platform for misinformation and further entrenchment of one’s own opinions? MATH: What is more statistically probable: that I or a loved one die from a terrorist, an illegal immigrant, an opioid overdose, or gun violence? HIST: What does history teach us when populism and nationalism are on the rise and the validity of the press is questioned? Gender Studies: How do we balance multiple allegations of sexual misconduct by elected officials vs. the due process of a legal trial? SAMC: Should public funds continue to patronize the arts (e.g., NEH, PBS)? EDUC: When a country comes to question facts and truth and proves to be so impressionable/gullible when certain voices shout, what does that say about American educational institutions and our ability to assess conflicting viewpoints? In the end, I am optimistic. No one has done more for citizenship in America than Donald Trump. He has mobilized people from every quarter to make their voices heard. I look forward to the next generation of concerned citizens—in both the US and Canada. Any volunteers?


B.S

WE CALL EMMA DYKSTRA On February 14th, the world witnessed yet another deadly school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen students and faculty members were killed in the massacre, and the students that survived are using this event to make a difference in their nation. Their new movement called Never Again, created not even days after the shooting, advocates for stricter gun laws and confronts lawmakers and politicians about the increasing gun violence in the United States.

One of the main reasons Americans want to own guns is for self-protection. This is an understandable motive, especially when you’ve grown up in a home where you always knew there was a loaded gun nearby to keep you safe. However, how powerful of a gun does one need to feel safe? When Thomas Jefferson sanctified the Second Amendment back in 1781, the most powerful gun at the time was the Kentucky long rifle which shot 2+ rounds a minute and had a firing range of 100 yards.

It’s unfortunate to say that these types of headlines are becoming all too common. Three of the top five deadliest mass shootings in the United States have happened in the past year and a half and many Americans disagree on how to address this issue. After every shooting, a debate arises, then settles down. However, as many politicians, talk show hosts, teachers, and students have said, something is going to change this time. But, what should change? And how can the United States prevent these tragedies from happening?

Today, one of the most powerful weapons that is legally purchasable in the United States is the M2 Machine Gun, which can shoot over 2000 yards with over 700 rounds per minute. The most commonly used weapon in mass shootings (also used by Nikolas Cruz, the Parkland shooter) is the AR-15 style rifle, a semi-automatic gun that can shoot 600 rounds per minute that reaches a distance of over 600 yards. Out of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in America over the past decade, seven of them have involved the use of assault weap-

A change in gun control laws must start with a change in attitude toward gun possession. “Protect children, not guns,” a protest sign reads at a pro gun control rally. As Canadians, it’s easy for us to look at American attitudes towards guns and say that the issue is black and white. What we as Canadians don’t understand, is that owning a gun in Canada isn’t the same as owning a gun in America because of the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment states: “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” As an anti-gun control supporter stated in a CNN interview, “Owning a gun is not a privilege, it’s not like driving a car, it’s a right which is supported in the Constitution.” The right to own a gun is constitutional, and the founding fathers had good intentions when they wrote the Second Amendment.

ons, most of them legally purchased. Are these weapons of war necessary for civilian self-protection? By banning the purchase of all military-style weapons, the United States can ensure that these types of firearms don’t even have the chance of getting into the hands of latent mass shooters. The security of background checks is another serious flaw in the current gun issue. Law enforcement took a lot of heat after the Parkland shooting. After all, gunman Nikolas Cruz had been reported to law enforcement and social services over 30 times in the past decade for his violent behaviour. A neighbour even described him in November 2017 as “a shooter in the making” during a call to social services.

7 ACADEMY NIKI MARA nicole.mara.ga@gmail.com How can these types of people obtain guns when they’re clearly not stable enough to own one? There are many ways to do so, as well as many ways to prevent this from happening. Right now, there is no federal license required for gun owners in America, and over 50 percent of US states don’t require gun owners to register their firearms with the government. As well, the FBI database used for background checks on gun purchases, is often missing criminal records and mental health information. Even more so, 22 percent of gun purchases in the United States are done without any background checks at all. That means there are millions of guns that have the potential to fall into the hands of people who are not mentally stable enough to own a firearm. Enforcement of background checks can prevent people like Nikolas Cruz, Adam Lanza, and others from buying the weapons they used in their mass shootings. It’s important to recognize that there are millions of law-abiding gun owners who have no criminal record and are mentally stable. But by enforcing these types of laws, certain guns can still be kept in the hands of law-abiding citizens, but out of the hands of those who are not. Understandably, these kinds of changes don’t happen overnight. It would be a long process and a difficult fight for America. As Canadians, it’s important to understand that we have had a very different history of gun control and possession than that of the Americans. Even though we have different ideas on guns, perhaps the United States could adopt some of Canada’s gun laws, beginning with the requirement of a federal license, and continuing with the banning of the types of assault weapons that are used in mass shootings. It is becoming all too common of a headline.

We must keep in mind, however, that restricting the laws on gun possession is not taking away any rights from the Constitution. Governments controlling rights is not something new, or something to fear. For example, you can’t go into a public building and shout, “Fire!” just because you have the right to free speech. Governments place restrictions on rights in order to keep people safe, which is exactly what needs to happen to the Second Amendment, starting with the types of guns available for purchase.

How many more mass shootings does America have to endure before some real change happens? When will the next mass shooting rock the nation back into sorrow and debate on gun laws? According to the survivors of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, never again. Even if the students don’t immediately succeed in their efforts, they have sparked the nation; heads have turned, ears are ready to listen, and change, it seems, is just around the corner.

Alexander Gust - Caleb Spyksma


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DISCUSIÓN MULTILINGÜE CONTROL DE COMPORTAMIENTO

Nuestro campus es una cacofonía muy bien de culturas de todo el mundo, y con un campus multicultural viene una diversidad de idiomas. He tenido el privilegio de reunir artículos en español de estudiantes cuyo primer idioma es inglés, y presentarlos en las páginas de Mars’ Hill como la primera de, con suerte, muchas artículos multilingües futuras. Creo que nuestra diversidad cultural debe mostrarse en todas partes de nuestra comunidad, esto incluye el periódico oficial de Trinity. Aquí hay algunas discusiones sobre temas importantes del campus, en dos traducciones: español e inglés.

La Universidad de Trinity Western es una hermosa escuela que tiene excelentes profesores y muy buenas opciones de cursos. Es una escuela que tiene un fuerte aspecto cristiano, y es un lugar muy acogedor. Sin embargo, ninguna universidad es perfecta. Los estudiantes que asisten a Trinity son humanos y son capaces de cometer errores. Los estudiantes que asisten a TWU deben firmar un contrato antes de convertirse oficialmente en estudiantes, en el que prometen no tener relaciones sexuales fuera del matrimonio o participar en otras actividades inmorales. Si rompen los términos del contrato, la escuela tiene la capacidad de expulsarlos. Pienso que el contrato de la comunidad que deben firmar los estudiantes cuando ingresan a TWU es una invasión a la privacidad y el derecho de elección personal. Es un error que una institución educativa supervise las

elecciones personales de los estudiantes. Se debe esperar que los estudiantes que desean asistir a TWU tengan un mejor nivel porque es una universidad cristiana, pero no deben ser expulsados por hacer una elección diferente o por cometer un error. Una escuela, que no es una iglesia oficialmente autorizada, no debería tener el poder de controlar. La fe cristiana es, en esencia, inclusiva y acogedora para todos los que desean creer en Jesucristo y encontrar un significado más profundo. Si bien es cierto que el cristianismo debería alentar a sus seguidores a seguir el camino de la rectitud y la verdad, no debería venir con un contrato.

REPRESENTACIÓN MULTILINGÜE DEL LIDERAZGO Me gusta el esfuerzo que TWU hace para fomentar un sentido de comunidad, sin embargo, hay algunos estudiantes que quedan excluidos. El cuerpo estudiantil de Trinity es muy diverso. Hay estudiantes de Canadá por supuesto, Estados Unidos, China, México, El Salvador, Portugal, Turquía, Corea, India, Tailandia, Ruanda, y de todo el mundo. No obstante, nuestro cuerpo de liderazgo estudiantil no refleja esto. La mayoría de estudiantes en posición de liderazgo son canadiense o americanos. Los próximos estudiantes que pueblan la Universidad son de China y Corea, y aquellos que hablan español. Es importante que estos grupos sean representados en el cuerpo de liderazgo estudiantil de la escuela para que su voz sea escuche también. Es verdad que

muchos de ellos no están familiarizados con la cultura aquí, y por eso no están dispuestos a entrar en el liderazgo, pero podríamos crear una asociación donde los estudiantes extranjeros son elegidos para tener una voz en eventos relacionados con los estudiantes. De esta manera, todavía pueden tener algo que decir sin asumir todas las responsabilidades asociadas con el liderazgo. La universidad de Trinity Western es una escuela muy buena con una comunidad muy buena, y queremos que todos los estudiantes, norteamericanos o extranjero, se sientan parte de ella.

INTROVERTIDOS EN NUESTRA COMUNIDAD En las últimas semanas de las elecciones de TWUSA y el proceso de campaña, se repitió un tema común: la importancia de la comunidad. Sin duda, la Universidad de Trinity Western enfatiza la importancia de vivir juntos y la participación en la comunidad. A menudo aceptamos este valor sin pensar en las implicaciones negativas. Como resultado de ese enfoque en la comunidad, muchos introvertidos se sienten obligados a convertirse en amigables y actúan como extrovertidos sociales que asisten a todos los eventos y pasan la mayor parte de su tiempo con otras personas.

participación en actividades de dormitorio u otros eventos, pero muchos estudiantes se sienten presionados a hacerlo. Se vuelve difícil para los que necesitan mucho tiempo a solas. No hay un lugar privado para ellos, incluso en los apartamentos es muy difícil. Si el énfasis en la comunidad puede ser representado mejor en Trinity, deber tener en cuenta también las necesidades de los introvertidos.

Por supuesto, Trinity nunca diría que se requiere la

LA SEGURIDAD EN EL CAMPUS La seguridad en TWU es una prioridad, pero todavía necesita más atención. Los estudiantes ya tienen suficientes cosas de que preocuparse y no deben tener que preocuparse con los crímenes que afectan sus estudios. Desafortunadamente, los delitos pequeños son cada vez más frecuentes. Esto podría significar que hay más posibilidad que en el futuro haya problemas más serios.

De esta manera habrá más conciencia del problema, los estudiantes cerrarán sus habitaciones y habrá menos robos. Otra solución es cuidar y ser más estrictos en la entrada a la universidad. Parece un poco demasiado fácil entrar la escuela y personas con malas intenciones podrían entrar el campus fácilmente. También necesitamos más guardias de seguridad que vigilen.

El crimen más común en el campus es el robo de dinero, ropa y computadoras de las habitaciones. Los estudiantes están aprendiendo la importancia de cerrar con llave las puertas de sus habitaciones cuando no están. Aún ha habido casos de ladrones entrando por las ventanas para robar cosas. Pienso que una manera de buscar una solución es hablar de los peligros de la seguridad públicamente.

Estamos viendo más y más crímenes pequeños en TWU. Aunque la mayoría de las personas no están preocupadas por una amenaza, debemos enfocarnos en nuestra seguridad. No podemos permitir que esto continúe.

carscience. - Becca Carsience


MULTILINGUAL DISCUSSIONS

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BEHAVIOUR CONTROL Trinity Western University is a beautiful school that has excellent teachers and an amazing course selection. It is a school that has a strong Christian aspect to it, and it is a very welcoming place to people of all backgrounds. However, no university is perfect. Students who attend Trinity Western are human and are prone to making mistakes. Students who attend Trinity Western must sign a contract before officially becoming students, in which they promise not to have sex outside of marriage or participate in other immoral activities. If they break the terms of the contract, the school has the right to expel them. I believe that the Community Covenant that students must sign when they enter Trinity Western is an invasion of privacy and infringes on the right of personal

choice. It is a mistake for an educational institution to oversee students’ personal choices. Students who wish to attend Trinity Western should be expected to have better behaviour because it is a Christian university, but they should not be expelled for making a different choice or mistake. A school, which is not an officially authorized church, should not have the power to control behaviour. The Christian faith is, in essence, inclusive and welcoming for all who wish to believe in Jesus Christ and find a deeper meaning. While it is true that Christianity should encourage its followers to follow the path of righteousness and truth, it should not come with a contract.

Our campus is an amazing cacophony of cultures from all around the globe, and with a multicultural campus comes a diversity of languages. It has been my privilege to gather articles in Spanish from students whose first language is English, and present them on the pages of Mars’ Hill as the first, of hopefully many, future multilingual features. It is my belief that our cultural diversity should be displayed everywhere, including the official student newspaper. Here are some discussions of hot-button campus issues, in two translations – Spanish and English.

MULTICULTURAL LEADERSHIP REPRESENTATION I greatly appreciate the emphasis that Trinity Western places on fostering a sense of community. However, there are some students who are excluded. The student body of Trinity Western is very diverse. Along with Canadian students, there are also students from the United States, China, Mexico, El Salvador, Portugal, Turkey, Korea, India, Thailand, Rwanda, and so many other places all over the world. However, our student leadership body does not reflect this. The majority of students in leadership positions are Canadian or American. A very large body of students that populates Trinity Western are from China and Korea, and those who are from Spanish-speaking countries. It is important that these groups be represented in the student leadership body of the school, so that their voices are heard

as well. It is true that many of them are not familiar with the local Western culture, and that is why so many international students are not willing to enter into leadership positions, but we could create an association where foreign students are given a voice in events related to the students. In this way, they can still have something to say without assuming all the responsibilities associated with leadership. Trinity Western is an amazing school with a community, and we want all students, Americans or foreigners, to feel part of it.

INTROVERTS IN OUR COMMUNITY In the last weeks of the TWUSA elections and the campaign process, a common theme was repeated: the importance of community. Without a doubt, Trinity Western emphasizes the importance of living together and participation in the community. We often accept this value without thinking about the negative implications. As a result of that focus on the community, many introverts feel compelled to become friendly and they act like social extroverts, who attend all events and spend most of their time around other people.

quired, but many students feel pressured to do so. It becomes difficult for those who need a lot of time alone. There are no private places for them; it is even difficult within apartments. If the emphasis on the community can be better represented in Trinity, it must also take into account the needs of the introverts.

Of course, Trinity Western would never say that participation in dormitory activities or other events is re-

SECURITY ON CAMPUS Security on the TWU campus is a priority, but it still needs more attention. Students already have enough things to worry about and should not have to worry about crimes that could affect their studies. Unfortunately, small crimes are becoming more frequent. This could mean that there is a higher possibility of more serious problems, or crimes, arising in the future. The most common crime on campus is the theft of money, clothing and electronic devices from dorm rooms. It seems that even locking room doors does not guarantee the safety of one’s possessions. There have still been cases of thieves coming in through windows to steal things. I think one way to look for a solution is to talk about the safety hazards publicly. That way, there will be more of an awareness of the problem, and students will lock their rooms which would decrease theft. An-

other solution is to enforce stricter security at the campus gates. It seems a bit too easy to enter the school, and people with bad intentions could easily enter the campus. We also need higher security guard staffing, in order to ensure security coverage of our whole campus. We are seeing more and more small crimes on our campus, and although most people are not worried about these kinds of threats, we must focus on our security and, most importantly, our safety. We cannot allow this to continue.

Dr. Sylvia Brynjolfson, Assistant Professor of Spanish at TWU, has edited and proofread the Spanish versions of the articles.

Uvuvwevwevwe Onyetenyevwe Ugwemuhwem Osas - Andrew Brookes


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Freedom of expression and the right to dissent are essential features of a democracy and without these fundamental freedoms, a vibrant and pluralistic society rapidly disintegrates. Yet, where is the line drawn between informed debate and unreasonable censorship characterized by political correctness running rampant? At present, freedom of expression in universities is blatantly under attack – not a premeditated, organized attack, but an accumulation of episodes that have diminished its significance and centrality to the existence of higher educational institutions. Recent publicized incidents not only represent the latest manifestations in the struggle between free speech and respecting the rights of marginalized communities but are indicative of another equally serious crisis – a battle over the fundamental purpose of universities. Indeed, the apparent erosion of the “free exchange of ideas” today represents a desperate call for universities to uphold free speech— an element central to their mandates and should rightly remain so. And yet, although freedom of expression entails the right to speak, it also necessitates the responsibility to hear. Therefore, reasonable parameters must be in place to ensure the speech is not only respectful of others but is never used to denigrate individuals and people groups to the detriment of Canadian pluralistic society. Universities are under a positive obligation to protect freedom of speech, as the liberty to thoughtfully and peaceably express

an obligation to create environments in which their students can study, relatively safe from harm or injury. Furthermore, freedom of speech is a widely recognized prerequisite for the preservation of a liberal democracy, whose existence hinges on the open exchange of ideas among citizens. Therefore, students should never be fearful of challenging the status quo or voicing unpopular perspectives that defy social conformity. In relation, there is often a misguided assumption that the purpose of education is to induce correct opinion rather than to search for wisdom and to liberate the mind. Yet, universities were never created to inculcate a certain point of view but to enable individuals to

At present, freedom of expression in universities is blatantly under attack – not a premeditated, organized attack, but an accumulation of episodes that have diminished its significance and centrality to the existence of higher educational institutions. oneself is a core feature of personal development, a basic human right and the foundation of democratic society. Universities across Canada find themselves in a precarious situation, as they attempt to balance their traditional mission as an unconditional guardian of free speech with a growing need to accommodate the myriad of beliefs, political stances and cultural perspectives of their student body. Yet, perhaps nowhere else on earth is free speech utilized and sought after with more vigor than on university campuses. Thus, the mission of universities should be to foster an environment where competing standpoints can be laid bare, heard, and evaluated. At the national level, section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication. The guarantee, however, of each of the above rights is restricted to some extent in the name of peace, order and the greater common good. Within the context of university, all institutions must encourage free inquiry and the discovery of knowledge for the betterment of local, national, and even international communities; yet, they also have

1986 David Bowie from the movie Labyrinth - Martin Garcia


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reach their own conclusions through exploration and discourse. University students should be led to practice democratic virtues such as equality, tolerance, recognition of reasonable disagreement, and

THE ISSUE OF FREE SPEECH ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES RONA DE GRAAF Creeping into nearly every realm of civil society is a language that has debased public discourse with petty insults and infantile taunts, void of any notion of professionalism. When viewed in this way, restrictions on “hate speech” do not infringe on speech rights but actually facilitate and refine our understanding of free speech by decontaminating social discourse infused with blatant and harmful untruths.

respectful engagement. Thus, if one has a position on a social or intellectual issue, then they should also have the freedom to advance it, in the classroom or in academic research, using appropriate support and respectful language. What is more, outside formal scholarly debates, the exact same rules of conduct should apply to and govern societies, workplaces and daily interactions with fellow students. In the end, upholding a higher standard for those seeking campus platforms does not constitute an attack on democratic free speech; rather, it is a crucial first step in rehabilitating and restoring the kind of public discourse that is worthy of consideration and that is favorable to the development of democratic values and competencies. Therefore, students must be allowed to continue the relentless, objective, scholarly pursuit of knowledge and the advancement of the human condition within a tolerant and inclusive environment. In short, respectful, informed and value laden speech – that is not limited by intolerant perspectives or causes – is exactly the kind of dialogue that professors should nurture in the classroom. Moreover, this is precisely the type of rational and reasoned discourse in which all individuals, student or not, should be able to engage in, to flush out issues that are particularly sensitive, multifaceted and consequential.

Perhaps the greatest failure of higher education is neglecting to teach the intellectual habits that promote discussion, tolerance for views we despise, epistemic humility, and sincere pluralism. While institutions of higher learning should not be incubators of intellectual comfort, they should neither facilitate the toxic use of polarized rhetoric that explicitly denigrates certain ethnicities, religions, political belief systems, and sexual orientations or preferences. Therefore, universities should strive to raise levels of public discourse and to support fundamental, invaluable standards of speech – civility, courteousness and accountability. While universities should indisputably protect all manifestations of free speech, this is just the start of their aggregate mission. Universities must also endorse the value of worthy speech, which seeks greater insight or to offer a rational defense of a position, rather than merely to provoke or debase a particular audience. Undoubtedly, when those with unpopular views or those who oppose prevalent ideologies are silenced, students lose the opportunity to hear all sides of an issue and subsequently, come to their own conclusions. However, advocating for and enforcing the notion of worthy speech means that a university will sometimes need to deny individuals a public platform, since classrooms are not public forums but are subject to restrictions of time, place and manner that are content neutral by nature, in order that an environment of learning may be maintained. As Jason Blum so eloquently puts it, worthy speech is both intellectually and morally responsible, “beholden to basic standards of discourse and behavior, such as avoiding gross generalizations, refraining from the cavalier dismissal of established knowledge (including facts that are inconvenient for one’s position), eschewing ad hominem attacks, and demonstrating a basic level of respect for one’s interlocutors.”1 Therefore, while students are within the arena of education, they must engage in discourse in a way that is both rigorous yet civil, courteous yet still challenging.

Yet, campaigns for free speech have made a paradoxical switch from advocating for freedom of speech to demanding freedom from speech; in other words, protection from discomfort. In the end, each and every student should

Yet, campaigns for free speech have made a paradoxical switch from advocating for freedom of speech to demanding freedom from speech; in other words, protection from discomfort. And yet, obstructionist protesters are not exercising “a protected right to free speech,” but rather are shutting down the free exchange of ideas. In the end, educational institutions should not provide a spotlight for those who blatantly disregard basic democratic and intellectual standards that form the basis of our multicultural society; rather, they should fight against the pervasive degradation of thoughtful discourse and strive to foster models of speech that deserve the undivided attention of our communities. One could conclude that the threat today is not free speech per se, but rather its bastardized form which has egregiously rejected any standards of conduct whatsoever.

have the opportunity to hear – and challenge – a wide range of differing opinions, including opinions that may offend them. Thus, the only restriction to free speech should be when it obstructs the primary purpose of universities by perpetuating discriminatory and debasing language, and blatantly fails to recognize the humanity in those who hold opposing views. Ultimately, places of higher education must facilitate the realization that each human being is uniquely endowed with faculties that illustrate their intrinsic value, such as the potential power to think, to will, to intuit, to be creative and so on; these remarkable abilities are further developed and matured with the exercise of free speech. Every argument embodying the transcendent values of humility and respect for diversity is worthy of consideration and holds the potential to bring positive change to our present realities, in turn, healing the cleavages of our society.

Jason Blum, “Worthy Speech, Not Free Speech,” Chronicle of Higher Education, Vol. 64, No. 2 (September 2017).

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You’re A Theatre Major Right - Trevor McMahan


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on pop poetry

ARTS & CULTURE JOEL REDEKOP jsaredekop@gmail.com

KENNEDY DRAGT why think? when you can sit and look at a grey box with one or two right-aligned black words. wait. it only gets better. when everything and nothing is said. In 2014, Rupi Kaur published her first book of poetry titled Milk and Honey, followed in 2017 by The Sun and Her Flowers. Both of these books landed on bestseller lists, marking the ascension of what is known as pop poetry, or instapoetry, into print. That which had previously been limited to the mediums of Instagram, tumblr and Pinterest, was now given the authority of real literary work, becoming a point of contention for members of the literary community. Kaur, while possibly the most well known of the pop poets, is not single-handedly responsible for producing pop poetry. Her contemporaries, such as Erin Hanson, Lang Leav and Hollie McNish, have likewise inspired many of these pithy verses, if verses they may be called.

when taken on by pop poets, the barely existent form of poem degrades the story rather than elevates it, as Wordsworth argued for or as is the case in confessional poetry. Rebecca Watts, in her article The Cult of the Noble Amateur, published in the January 2018 edition of the NP Review, sums up this idea of faulty autobiography nicely. Though she is referring specifically to McNish’s volume Plum as she writes, it “is the product not of a poet but of a personality,” this can be extended to many, if not all, of the pop poets. Their work is an expression of their personality. In this, the speaker is almost completely eliminated; it becomes united with the poems and they run the risk of becoming didactic.

does not play with language. Pop poetry is simply a reduction of true poetry. Perhaps rather than poetry, pop poems could be better described as inspirational quotes, or may be better placed in a song. Some of the published pop poems are rather reminiscent of the lyrics “He was a boy/ She was a girl/ Can I make it any more obvious,” from Avril Lavigne’s 2002 hit song “Sk8er Boi.” Can such “instapoems” even be compared to the works of Gerard Manley Hopkins or Byron?

Some critics say that pop poetry is juvenile; an underdeveloped attempt at poetry. It does not inspire creative thought or higher cognitive processing. It does not invoke a muse or imagination. It does not build upon or engage in the conversation between literary works. Its use of rhetorical and literary devices are limited and amateur. I t

Poems contained in her volumes – and any that fit in the genre of pop poetry – are generally brief, consisting sometimes of only a single word or sentence fragment, and are therefore simplistic, relying heavily on description, requiring neither much thought for understanding in regards to the reader, nor crafting in regards to the poet. Generally, these poems are derived from the author’s personal experience. They address a broad range of topics relating to the aspectual life: love, trauma, relationships, sex, motherhood and femininity, reaching a broad audience. And while poetry as autobiography is neither new nor inherently bad, it seems that it, at least in this format, does not sit well with some people. However, it was Wordsworth—a canonized poet—who claimed that readers should take interest in reading about “the growth of a poet’s mind,” and confessional poetry contains both beautiful craft and blatant autobiography. Thus, it cannot be the content so much that upsets the critics. It is possible that Hey Caleb! Do we have the budget for this? - Caleb Barkowsky

Yet, despite the many criticisms against the artform, pop poetry is vastly popular. A single pop poem post on Instagram can get over two hundred and fifty thousand “likes,” and pop poets’ print books have sold millions of copies. Perhaps this is because pop poetry simply fills the current consumerist need for instant gratification. The short lines are easy to read and easy to process. They are often accompanied by a simple illustration. Pop poetry is marketable. It is cute. And, while it may lack structure and be purely emotive, it fills a need. Young women around the world have found in pop poetry a place where their experiences and identities are validated. The platform that pop poetry provides to talk openly about womanhood, race and trauma, however uncrafted the lines may be, shows young women who are particularly vulnerable to struggles with their identity, that their stories and experiences are valuable. Despite their lack of depth, and their frequent preachy tone, pop poems can be beneficial to society. Perhaps, though they are not poems, there may be value found in “instapoems.”


AGAINST NARRATIVE TIME ERIC STEIN

If the back cover of Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction classic Dune is to be believed, Paul Atreides, the novel’s protagonist, is a righteous hero, one who “would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family,” and “would bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.” A classic narrative. But this is not the narrative with which Herbert leaves us. Look inside “Science Fiction’s Supreme Masterpiece,” and you will not find another iteration of the hero’s journey. Dune poses a challenge to the very idea of the hero, and the stories that we tell about him. I say him, first of all, because Dune cannot be disentangled from the structure of feudal patrimony that Herbert weaves, a world of birthright and power. Paul Atreides is a product of this world, groomed to be a Duke, destined to inherit his father’s seat. His blood is his right to rule. His status as hero is un-

questionable. And Paul’s destiny does not terminate here. He is also the product of generations of selective breeding, the long-awaited Kwisatz Haderach, the “shortening of the way,” in whom the secretive order of the Bene Gesserit hope for the elevation of humanity to a new order of being. Paul is not only the rightful lord of his house, but the messiah of all humanity. But Herbert is not interested in hagiography. From the beginning of Dune, Paul is troubled by his “terrible purpose,” his prescient sense of what is to come. He sees a “jihad, bloody and wild,” sweeping across the galaxy in his name, the awful cost of his destiny being fulfilled. His birthright and his power are neither pure nor righteous. Herbert makes it impossible for Paul’s narrative to be justified in such a way. On the desert world Arrakis, Paul’s father, the Duke Leto, is murdered by the Harkonnens (the previous rulers of the planet, a rival noble house sponsored by the imperial throne), the Atreides forces are almost entirely destroyed, and Paul

and his mother are forced to flee and hide themselves in the wasteland. They are taken in by the Fremen, the indigenous population who had been savagely oppressed under the Harkonnens, and who now see in Paul a deliverer, a prophet, the Lisan al-Gaib, the “voice from the outer world,” said to be their liberation. Paul takes the name Muad’Dib, a name with deep roots in Fremen mythology, and the Fremen take his banner in turn, rising up with zealous fervour. Paul Muad’Dib leads them to victory against the Harkonnens and the Emperor, claiming vengeance for his father’s murder and taking the throne for himself—and the Emperor’s daughter, the Princess Irulan, for his bride. This is no story of heroism. Paul’s journey is marked by a catastrophic loss of life, and the terror of his name becomes the instrument of a tyranny the likes of which the galaxy has never seen. Paul’s story, his destiny, is a tragedy to be mourned. But Paul has another name: Usul, the “base of the pillar.” This is the name

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given to him by his Fremen mentor, Stilgar, his secret name not shared with the outside world. No revolutions or jihads are waged in the name of Usul, because the strength signified by this name is not a violent strength, but the strength of compassion, the strength of intimate suffering. It is for this reason that Chani, Paul’s beloved, calls him Usul. She is his Sihaya, the desert springtime and “the paradise to come,” a daughter of the desert who taught Paul its ways, who saw the gentleness in his strength, and chose to love him not because of the promise of his destiny, but in spite of it. Book Two of Dune, “Muad’Dib,” concludes with a tender scene between Paul and Chani before the headlong rush of Book Three, “The Prophet.” Paul wavers here, resisting his destiny, refusing to take up his Messianic mantle, waiting for just a little while longer, hoping that a new purpose, a different purpose, might reveal itself to him. He feels “walking a thin wire of peace with a measure of happiness, Chani at his side. He could see it stretching ahead of him, a time of relative quiet in a hidden sietch, a moment of peace between periods of violence.” Hidden away from the world, from his destiny, from himself, there is only a boy and a girl, Usul and Sihaya. There, in the “communion of selves” is “no other place for peace.” “You’re the strong one, Chani,” Paul says, “Stay with me.” Under the burden of the narrative forced upon him, Paul is unable to believe Chani’s invocation of his own secret name. But she touches him and kisses him and tells him of a dream, of a purpose free of the weight of destiny, a dream of love and quiet. In the name Usul, in his name, this is the future she sees and cherishes. There is a significant temporal gap between Book Two and Three. The narrative picks up again when Paul determines that it is time for his terrible purpose to be fulfilled. He departs from the sietch, he departs from Chani, he departs from their new-born child, and as we have already seen here, he takes up the name Muad’Dib and ultimately ascends the throne of emperor. The narrative gap is easy to miss. Such a time is irrelevant to the plot of Dune, and as such, it goes unwritten. But such a time is precisely that upon which Herbert wishes his readers to dwell. The gaps in the narrative, the gaps in history, these are the spaces in which life takes back ground from destiny, the spaces where patrimony cannot form bodies into instruments of power because such instruments are continuously undone in the gentleness of touch. With a caress, Chani dissolves Paul’s terror, drawing him to herself with the sort of strength of which power cannot conceive, the tender strength of communion. The supreme masterpiece of Dune is not to be found in the intricacies of its narrative, but its silences, in the invisible, untellable and uncontainable spaces where narrative fails and life abides in peace.

John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt - Cheyanne Makelki


14

I’D LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMY

but first...

HEATHER GRACE COLLINS

Since the dawn of their existence in 1929, the Academy Awards have been recognized as the most prestigious celebration in film, commemorating the greatest achievements in the industry. With throngs of the world’s most beloved stars from the silver screen flocking together to congregate under one roof for a single night, displaying all manner of glitz, glamour, and fashion, it is no wonder the event has become a global spectacle, attracting a viewership of millions. Although many are genuinely interested in what film will win the coveted best picture, which dazzling leading lady will take home best actress, or perhaps even which animated feature will be hailed the victor, what really draws the majority of viewers is the spectacle itself, and it is this portion of the viewership that makes the entire occasion possible. As a young girl, it became a yearly ritual for my five older sisters and I to excitedly cram ourselves onto our family’s pink sofa, watching enraptured as the parade of black limousines and SUVs roll up to the Kodak theatre, one by one dropping off a glittering new spectacle to marvel at. From choosing a favourite out of the sea of extravagant dresses, to laughing along with the running monologue of that year’s host, the Academy Awards had always held a sort of magic for me. In recent years, however, it seems this shimmering spectacle has lost a great deal of its lustre, and the trance that seemingly pulls worldwide audiences to it year after year is beginning to fade. According to recent data released by Nielsen (a global information and measurement agency), the 2018 Academy Awards broadcast attracted the lowest view-

ership in the show’s recorded history. Additionally, the Associated Press reports that approximately 26.5 million viewers tuned in to the Academy Awards this year, marking the first time that the Academy Awards’ viewership has sunk below the 30 million mark. Furthermore, compared to the last year’s ceremony, viewership has sunk by a staggering 20 percent, with an audience of 32.9 million watching the 2017 Academy Awards. But what is it that is causing this steady decline in interest in what was once considered the world’s most anticipated television event of the year? A pattern that has been observed most prevalently within the last three Oscar occasions has been that of the majority of celebrities in attendance utilising the event as a platform to highlight a social justice issue that they are passionate advocates for. The 2017 Academy Awards, for example, were surrounded by the controversy over the very real lack of racial diversity among the actors, directors, and writers who were nominated to receive the awards, and recognition of their achievements. In response, a large number of highly

influential individuals broadcasted their distaste in relation to this issue by truly utilizing every tool at their disposal. This manifested itself in boycotting the ceremony altogether or in highlighting the Academy’s social injustices in their acceptance speech. Similarly, this year we witnessed a great deal of individuals rallying in support of the more recently prevalent #MeToo movement, which has focused greatly on the tragic injustices and inequalities experienced by women and girls on a global scale. From countless stars showing their support for the movement in the significance of their attire, to entire speeches being dedicated to highlight the issues the #MeToo movement seeks to address, as an audience, we truly saw great support for certainly a very worthy and culturally relevant cause. However, is it true that the focus of the Academy Awards is shifting more towards social justice issues, and further away from the ceremony’s initial purpose of recognizing achievements in cinema? Although it is inarguably an incredibly positive

thing that our society’s deeply-seated issues are beginning to be addressed, and are able to be brought to light by such remarkably influential figures, is there perhaps a more effective platform by which such figures could use their voice to highlight these issues, rather than make an award show their prime podium for change? Traditionally, the Academy Awards exist as a night to recognize excellence in the year’s film, whether it be on a performance, storytelling or technical level. The main focus should therefore be on the specific films being honoured, as well as the work of each director, actor, animator, writer, cinematographer or costume designer present. Although it is highly admirable that many of these esteemed individuals seek to make social justice issues a main focus of the evening, one might question as to whether or not that detracts from the purpose and intent of the ceremony as a whole, and whether it takes away in a sense from the original focus being on the films and achievements themselves. It is possible that with this recent switch in platforms of advocacy, audiences have experienced a strikingly different viewing experience when watching the Academy Awards. Perhaps by the necessary highlighting of these issues through a different outlet, such as the extremely effective method of promotion through social media, or indeed an entirely new event dedicated to the issues themselves, held and similarly broadcasted over the course of an evening, we may again see a rise in the previous viewership the Academy Awards have so famously upheld throughout its decades of legacy. We might just witness a return, so to speak, to the way we as an audience have traditionally experienced it.

Trinity Western University

SHUTTLE Sunday Mornings | Fall & Spring Semesters 11:30am pick up | 1:30pm drop off Mattson Building Traffic Circle lwchurch.ca Larry Bird. It’s my given name. It’s given to me by me. - Keltie Gardiner


15

AREOPAGITICA

CANARY IN A COAL MINE: Q&A WITH MARS’ HILL CO-FOUNDER, BRUCE BECK KATIE MARYSCHUK

first issue was profitable. We made enough revenue from the advertising profits for the entire production. At the release of the first issue, the university administrators confiscated 500 copies on campus and only under the threat of legal action returned them. [Admin] called every single advertiser from the first issue locally and said “If you advertise again at Trinity Western, we won’t do business with you again” so we had 100 percent turn over of our advertising in the second issue. We made twice the money and we were the first campus newspaper to have colour advertising. So, that’s the Reader’s Digest version. KM: Now, you said the editor said “do something about it.” Was that the drive and the heartbeat? BB: I think there’s always, and not just at Trinity, been a tension in post secondary educations between the sensibility and priorities of students and the sensibility and priorities of administrators and leaders. That’s an inevitable good tension to have. I think that the tensions had built up for a long time and my impeachment, for better lack of words, served as a catalyst. I don’t think it, in it of itself, was a big deal, but I think people were so outraged at the transparent self-servingness of the decision. When we started talking about an underground newspaper – you have to understand this was the 80s, no desktop publishing, no internet, and every keystroke we did had to be laid out on transparencies and taken to a printing press – it was a big deal logistically.

Editor-in-Chief, Katie Maryschuk, sat down with Mars’ Hill co-founder Bruce Beck and talked about the purpose behind creating the paper and the presence of a student voice on campus.

It was the genesis for calling the paper Mars’ Hill. Of course there’s the reference of being able to go someplace and speak truth to power without consequence. I think the notion of Mars’ Hill itself had more appeal than what just happened to me.

Katie Maryschuk (KM): Explain to us the start of Mars’ Hill and your involvement.

KM: Did you ever think it would grow into what it is today?

Bruce Beck (BB): I was the editor of the official campus newspaper in my junior year, which at that time was called the TWU Today. In my junior year [1987] I ran for and won election for student body president for my senior year. In the course of the campaign and the months that followed that, there was concern on the part of senior administrators here at Trinity that I might be an inappropriate leader. They impeached me on a technicality. They said my cumulative GPA was 0.09 below the standard, so I couldn’t serve in student leadership, even though numbers of students, including varsity athletes, had GPAs far lower than mine.

BB: No. The administration was violently opposed to what we were doing. One of the foundations of Mars’ Hill, as an underground newspaper, was that we insisted that contributors had to tell us who they were. We promised we would always publish their contributions anonymously. Again, that may sound like splitting of hairs, but we felt an obligation to journalistic integrity to say, “If you’re going to throw bricks at a glass house, have the courage to at least tell the people who will be blamed for the bricks, who you are.” You don’t get to vent here mindlessly, facelessly.

The administration, in the wake of that decision, which was announced the first week back during O-Week, the editor of the campus newspaper resigned in protest. The administration put in a sophmore, who was basically a term we used derogatorily then, we referred to as “catalogue kids.” I don’t know if that term is still around on campus. We referred to them as admin suckups. That young lady wrote an editorial in her first or second issue of the paper acknowledging the changes and supporting the decisions from administration and basically if you don’t like it, then do something about it.

We knew that there were senior professors and department heads writing letters venting their frustrations with the administration’s narrow-mindedness, and we recognized that we had a moral obligation to protect those people. Their contributions to the effort were so important to add credibility to what we were saying. It’s not just a bunch of disgruntled students who are pissed off about the decisions of admin. This was a warning bell from the entire Trinity Western community that things were not right here.

KM: How did the paper function? BB: We were determined to maintain the highest standards because we knew that lawsuits and legal action were a distinct possibility. So we operated in an over abundance of caution. We went out of our way to be upfront with our advertisers and our readers and it gave the school no wiggle room to stop what we were doing because in all its years of existence, it had never crossed the mind of any administrator to make a ruling or a community standard that said you couldn’t do what we were doing. So in the absence of a no, we assumed a yes. Everything they tried to do, we were two or three steps ahead of them. Which speaks not so much to our genius as to their lack of it. We weren’t smart, they were just incredibly stupid. You can quote me - all those people are now retired or dead. There is an eternal tension in places like this, around what we are. Are we a university that happens to be Christian, or are we a Christian institution that happens to be a university? That is the eternal tension and it will never be adequately resolved. If it could be - if every stakeholder, student, administrator, parent, donor could say that we are X, 80 percent of the conflict in this place would go away. Probably 50 percent of the people would go away too, but 80 percent of the conflict would go away. But, you can’t serve two masters, and I believe that’s Biblical so I’m allowed to say that. Are we going to pursue to the exclusion of all other considerations, that which is academic or are we going to the exclusion of all other considerations, that which is Christian? Student dissent should be like a canary in a [coal mine]. It should be the early warning signal to the leadership that there is something wrong. The chirping may be annoying, it may be mindless, it may be uninformed, it may come from a completely gilded-cage perspective. But the minute chirping stops, something bad is going to happen to everyone that is concerned. The absence of chirping is the danger sign, not the chirping itself. And many many people, not all of them, see the chirping as disrespectful, they see it as un-Christian, unspiritual, and those people are idiots. I’m sure there’s a more Christian polite way of saying it, but they’re idiots. KM: Finally, how do you see the role of press on university campuses? BB: The role of the press is to facilitate conversations and not to take positions. I think that the only way they do that is to be committed to being over-zealous in providing fair and respectful opportunities for both side, or every side of the conversation to be heard. And to rise above the human tendency of “all the students feel this way” and “all the admin feel this way.” That’s lovely but that’s not your job as a student newspaper. Want the full interview?

So, a group of six or seven of us formed an underground newspaper called Mars’ Hill. We ran our first issue in the spring semester and ran two issues. The

Go to marshill.ca to read more about Bruce’s take on the voice of the paper, how to deal with apathy and graduation.

that ginger nurse - David Coulter


16

SAILING THE

ship FOR THE glory ing leaders in place who directly aim to glorify God, creates a passion that is infectious.

SPORTS

The fans were also on another level in the finals; painted signs, chants, the shaking arena, and the cheering that resounded in our eardrums even after the final buzzer had sounded, was a force to be reckoned with. If you were part of the colossal support we received throughout playoffs, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. To have friends, family and fellow students in full pandemonium cheering, while simultaneously bringing glory to God, is special. Once we scored the third goal, I knew it was over. Then the buzzer sounded. The celebration was a blur: pure happiness, jumping, hugging, screaming, crying tears of joy.

JAMISON DERKSEN jamison.derksen@mytwu.ca

DERYK KIRCHNER Playoffs felt like they started in our last regular season game, which was against our first-round opponent: the Victoria Vikes. What may have appeared to the fans to be a convincing 6-3 win, it did not feel like it in the locker room. Our team had played a mediocre game for two of the three periods. Memories from the last four years flooded my mind. Instead of staying in the room and celebrating the record setting season, I left a tearful mess, as the emotional devastation from the 2017 playoffs came rushing back.

The parts I do remember: Looking at every guy on the team, and screaming, “WE DID IT, IT’S OVER, FOR THE GLORY!” I remember looking at the rafters and thinking, “Dear God, I am the most blessed man on earth.” I have never hugged so many people in my life as I did in the minutes that followed.

In 2017, we lost in such a way that still seems completely impossible. After dominating Selkirk in the first round, and hearing of the improbable event where SFU didn’t advance past the fourth place UVIC team, it seemed as though it would be smooth sailing to our first ever BCIHL championship. We captured the first game against Victoria, and were in the lead during the second game until the last minute, where we lost in overtime. At this point, I was still convinced it was our year, as were all of the other Spartans on the team.

Seeing Karsten Seidel with his fiancée - who had been cheering and supporting us for the past four years with snacks, signs, and encouragement - in the throngs of celebration, was very special. As was seeing the coaches and their families who had opened their lives and homes to the hockey team. It seemed that everywhere I turned, I saw another fan, teammate, or staff member that had contributed in a unique way. Each of you holds a special place in my heart, and I cannot thank you enough for the support.

The third and final game was a disaster. We took penalties, the team unravelled, and hope was lost when Victoria took the lead with two minutes to go. We were short handed and down 2-1, but the impossible happened. At this point, I was so upset, I didn’t watch, and only knew we tied it up based on the screams and cheering I heard. My faith that this was “our year” had been restored. Then, with 7.2 seconds left, it all ended. The Vikes scored, and stole the 2017 championship from us. We talked a lot about 7.2 seconds this season. It still stings. 7.2 is definitely my least favorite number. Losing the championship didn’t hurt as much as knowing some teammates were not going to be able to celebrate a BCIHL championship. Seeing guys like Lucas Hildebrandt, Aaron Gruenhage and other graduates leave without a championship was hard. The bonds within the TWU hockey family is what makes losing so painful, but it is also what makes a championship that much sweeter.

Seeing my teammates, the men I had gone to war with for four years, finally won, and it was surreal. Everyone had tears in their eyes. The younger guys too, everyone seemed to understand that we had done an incredible thing. We had won a championship, but more importantly, we honoured God with an absolute 100% team effort. Credit: Mark Janzen / TWU Spartans

Championship Finals Game 1 vs Selkirk; March 15, 2018

You could feel something in the air that first game, an absolute hunger that convinced me we couldn’t lose. I looked around at some of the veterans on the team; there was a confidence and underlying strength that was infectious amongst us. On the other hand, there was the calm of routine. Get to the rink, get changed into warm-up clothes, pregame talk from Barret, sewer ball, try to beat Silas in sewer ball, listen to Dirk Fast forward to 2018, a few weeks be- chirp someone, warmup, someone fartfore playoffs started, when some of the ed, go get changed into our gear. It had team gathered for a weekend camp- been like this for the last four years, and fire. Jarrett Fontaine, our soon to be as I started to get dressed, memories crowned BCIHL Playoff MVP, casually started flooding back. commented, “We’re going to sail the ship this year.” We all agreed. Howev- I remembered going places with these er, this worried me; was this confidence guys from Smithers to China, the countthe start of another unravelling? What less bus trips, playing cards, telling stomade Jarrett and the rest of us so cer- ries, and bonding with the guys I call tain that we were going to win, espe- “family.” I remembered nearly dying cially after last year, when all it took was a few times, the crazy injuries, and the support that the team, my family, and 7.2 seconds to sink a ship?

most importantly, the Lord, had blessed me with. Everything tied back to the thought that it didn’t matter if we won; all we could do was honour the Lord with our actions. After being so close, but losing all three years, the guys realized that there was a higher calling than winning a championship. I realized that this is where our confidence had come from; we knew as a team that no matter what the outcome, we would be successful in glorifying God with our actions and attitudes. As long as we kept our eyes focused on Him. Finals Game 2 vs Selkirk; March 16, 2018 The most outstanding factor for me personally, was the leadership and team effort evident throughout playoffs. Everyone on the team showed up and gave 100 percent effort, being led into battle by the team leaders. These guys were incredible; athletic, academic, and spiritual leaders throughout the season. Kaleb Denham captained the team, and along with others, led with integrity and a Christ-like attitude in all things. Hav-

I’m Rick Harrison and this is my pawn shop - Chase Moloney

The championship was awesome, but the trophy and the medal doesn’t matter. This championship victory is much deeper and sweeter than any other championship games I have seen or been a part of. Having the team pray on the ice, and seeing God glorified through a spectacular effort, revealed the work the Lord is doing in Spartans Hockey and TWU Athletics. After losing in 2017, and having a championship torn from our hands, something greater than a championship has been revealed. The championship was not just about one team beating another, it was about enjoying the Lord in our efforts first and foremost - in victory and defeat. For those who don’t know, the “ship” is short for championship. What better thing to do with a ship, than sail it for the glory of He who has bigger plans than you ever imagined, enjoying Him in your efforts.


17

WORLD CUP AND ESPIONAGE CHRISALEEN CIRO British soccer fans are outraged this week at the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Salisbury, England. As the investigation continues to unfold, evidence seems to suggest it was an assassination attempt perpetrated by Russia. British Prime Minister, Theresa May, said Russia’s guilt is “highly likely.” In retaliation to this attack on British soil, some British officials are recommending that England boycott the FIFA World Cup, to be hosted in Russia this summer. According to Western intelligence, President Vladimir Putin has initiated an alarming pattern of eliminating his political enemies. The poison, a sophisticated nerve agent, was definitely not something that the average citizen could have had access to. British law enforcement insists that the spy and his daughter were specifically targeted. As a result of the incident, British government ministers and members of the royal family will not be attending the World Cup this summer. This measure

is complicated by the fact that Prince William is the president of the English Football Association, which governs the country’s national team. Britain’s response, while purely symbolic, effectively communicates to the international community that Russia’s relationship with England will never be the same. It can be easy to underestimate the impact of cultural or recreational events in international affairs. However, these social events, royal weddings, sporting tournaments, and exorbitant dinners, are designed to facilitate productive cultural exchange and interstate goodwill. Royal weddings invite the international community into the personal lives of the leaders and influencers of that country. International sporting events are opportunities to come together to strive for personal goals and ideals, for entertainment, and positive competition. With Britain refusing to attend the World Cup, they are actively refusing to participate in a system that produces goodwill and collaboration and inhibits tension and violence.

SPARTAN STATS MEN’S VOLLEYBALL Recent

The Spartans made it all the way to the U SPORTS Gold Medal Game, but unfortunately their national championship streak came to an end.

3-1 W vs Windsor (Mar. 16) 3-1 W vs McMaster (Mar. 17) 3-0 L vs UBC (Mar. 18)

MEN’S HOCKEY Recent

The Spartans won their first ever BCIHL championship this season, following up a first place regular season finish with an unbeaten playoff run.

5-1 W vs Selkirk (Mar. 15) 4-1 W vs Selkirk (Mar. 16)

- We Are Hiring - Window cleaners - Pay rates are as follows: Groundwork: $23 per hour, on a piecework basis SPRAT/ IRATA Level 1: $26 per hour, on a piecework basis SPRAT/ IRATA Level 2: $30 per hour, on a piecework basis SPRAT/ IRATA Level 3: $32 per hour, on a piecework basis - SPRAT or IRATA level 1 certification will be required before you begin high rise work (but we will train you to clean windows on the ground first) - We are registered with WorkSafe B.C. and fully insured

MEN’S SPRING SOCCER Recent

Having won the Keg Cup last spring, the Spartans suffered a tough semifinal loss and ended up tying UFV in the consolation game.

3-2 L vs UBC (Mar. 24) 1-1 T vs UFV (Mar. 25) Upcoming

There are no scheduled upcoming games. WOMEN’S SPRING SOCCER Recent

Coming off of a Canada West Championship and a U SPORTS Bronze Medal this past season, the Spartans made the Keg Cup final, but lost to Alberta in penalties.

1-0 W vs UBC (Mar. 24) 2-1 L vs Alberta (Mar. 25) Upcoming

Call us at 604-944-4123 for more information

Sea To Sky Window Cleaning Inc.

www.seatoskywindowcleaning.com Email your resume to seatoskywindow@gmail.com

at WWU (6:00pm, Apr. 10) at Seattle Pacific (2:00pm, Apr. 14)

Holy Ghost - Holly Gust


18 HUMOUR SABINE HENDERSON hendersonsabine@gmail.com

ANDREW RICHMOND LANGLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA – An education major, who is consistently late for his classes, has come across the shocking discovery that Strombeck is rapidly separating itself from the rest of campus. “It’s true!” claims the fourth year student. “In my first year, I was able to make it to my classes in Strombeck with time to spare. Now that I’m in my fourth year,

EDUCATION STUDENT CONFIRMS THAT STROMBECK IS MOVING FURTHER AWAY FROM THE REST OF CAMPUS I’ve noticed that the walk to Strombeck appears to be at least three times as long!” The student’s suspicions were confirmed after doing an independent study using the knowledge retained from his GENV 121 class.

“Between my forged doctor’s notes, my imaginary relatives passing away, and this new geographical phenomenon, it’s a wonder I can even attend classes at all!”

The student’s next project is to measure how much lower the cafeteria is below sea level after they have been digging themselves into a hole over the past academic year.

When asked about the science behind his discovery, the student said, “You know plate tectonics? Yeah.” Upon further inquiry, the student started coughing and ran to the washroom. Several minutes later, he came out of the washroom in a different outfit and hastily walked away. Using nothing but a 25 ft tape measure and sheer brain power, the student was able to confirm that the distance between RNT and Strombeck was 2 miles longer than it was last semester.

EASTER: A STORY OF RESURRECTION AND REVENUE HANNAH AHRENDT

It’s almost that time of year again. Yessir, it’s nearly time to don our bunny suits, grab little wicker baskets, and search for brightly painted shells containing the almost-fetuses of our favourite domesticated fowl, smashing them open in the hopes that they will yield to us some sweet treat. Yup, Easter has always been my favourite holiday. The best part about Easter is that all my non-Christian friends (i.e. heathens), can join in on the festivities with relative ease and little discomfort! One would think that the days set aside

SABINE’S

HOT TAKE ON FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN CHAPEL

Sixty-one days of chapel in the Spring semester. Thirteen Praise Chapels. Twenty-eight speakers with shaking hands or over-confident strolls. Three women. Two from TWU, one not. Replaceable, optional, with an air of quasi-nonchalance, because Christian Feminism is obviously the common belief and needn’t actually be enacted. Words are enough. As long as it is known that women are equal, as long as someone is brought in to talk about “Jesus Feminism” once a year, as long as female students are occasionally reminded that they can go

for remembering the death and glorious resurrection of the Son of God, which signifies to all who believe that their souls have been saved, would be deemed too sacred to commercialize. Fortunately, however, this is not the case! We have succeeded in wiping away all traces of religious (or “faithbased,” if you prefer), meaning that this holiday signifies to bring about a purely un-religious, totally monetized excuse for a long weekend. Some might have an issue with Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross being swept under the rug in favour of pastel colours, to make three days in April more palatable for

into business or become a scientist or theologian, any physical embodiment of these ideas is absolutely nonessential. Women already have everything together after all, with the force of the #MeToo movement and 99 years of suffrage in their pockets—who needs role models when you have hashtags and ballots? Who needs a real woman to exemplify these beliefs, speak to them and to the hearts of young women? Who needs a woman to speak in the first place? Living in a patriarchal society, it is better for students to hear from men, so that they may be taught to believe as a man does and thus effectively integrate into any faith-based community. Christian Feminism is OK, but only as a front; anything beyond three female chapel speakers in a semester is clearly pure heresy. DANICA STEENKAMP “Haha wow ur last name is a first name” - Hannah Nicolle

non-Christians - but how else is secular society supposed to understand and rationalize this wonderful holiday, if not with an obscenely large bunny handing out artificially coloured chicken eggs? This really does make the most sense. We simply cannot expect our sacred holidays to be socially acceptable if we refuse that they be converted into means for big corporations to increase profits. That’s just solid capitalistic logic right there! So grab a bunny, snatch a chicken egg, paint yourself in the gaudy colours that mark the holiday, and throw money at whichever storefront looks most appealing! After all, it’s not like Jesus condemned following the ways of the world!


TAG YOURSELF MARS’ HILLIANS EDITION

19

KATIE

ALEX

TORI

BROOKE

- wears Blunds even though they’re not comfortable - HYPEEE - loves Hillsong United - can make a mean lasagna - has a perfect Instagram feed #goals

- slepy boi - will fly their drone to get Instagram likes - makes a mean cup of aeropress coffee - thinks ramen is cooking - Technology Man™

- drinks too much kombucha - tried to write a novel in high school - 60% cringe - has a meme for every situation - does not enjoy a band unless the name is spelled wrong

- loves dogs more than people - could fight Jamison and win - honest 110% of the time - still says “LOL” - might knit you a sweater

HANNAH

SABINE

CHRISALEEN

MAYA

- mysterious - will spend an entire paycheck on a new tattoo - never listens but pretends to with smiles and nods - captions Instagram posts with song lyrics - can actually wear beanies and make them look good

- is the chill presence in your life - can probably fly - master salad maker - *cringey pun* - will sing to you to cheer you up

- knows your secrets before you do - may be magical - probably knows politics better than most politicians - used to be a tumblr girl but got their life together - spends more time in TWUSA than class

- smol human - anime is life - “yes yes YES” - elusive - gun fingers their way through the pain

JAMISON

RYAN

NIKI

DAYNA

- cares more about shoes than world peace - lives off oreos - can sport™ - probably was really cute as a baby - “oh that’s an L”

- has an Excel spreadsheet for everything - is lowkey the mom of the group - can probably schedule you in - 40% hipster, 60% sarcasm - has a lot of music related opinions

- plays the ukulele - screaming on the inside - has a stick-and-poke tattoo - owns 25 sweaters from Value Village - tags you in taggable memes

- always takes boomerangs - the best listener around - will share their fries with you - has their life together - the only one who posts cohesive Instagram stories

MADDIE

JOEL

BAILEY

- soft and cute - obsessed with aesthetics - probably has a world map on their wall - will cry at dogs - always wears pastel pink

- thinks it’s still the 70’s - has seen every movie ever - is best buds with the record store clerk - lowkey drama queen - can’t function without coffee

- “check out my blog” - knows the difference between a doggo and a pupper - looks intimidating but is actually the sweetest - “so did I tell you about this one time…” - smol and will protect

Not Mackenzie. Just Kenzie. - Kenzie Morgan


ALEX’S ANNEX

Andrew and Levi Friesen Year: 1st and 3rd

THE FRIE-OF-SINS

Age: 18 and 20 Major: Undecided and MCOM Height: 6’0” and 5’11”

A LOVE THIS WORLD DOES NOT OFFER: THE FREEDOM OF FORGIVENESS

Hometown: Vancouver, B.C. ANONYMOUS

Favourite Christian (non-worship) song? Rappin’ for Jesus - Pastor Jim Colerick (YouTube it) Favourite woman in the Bible? Mary. Hands down. Idea of a perfect date? Dons run Best place for a first kiss? On the Dons run. How long before you propose? Hopefully our girls propose to us, its 2018 baby! *cringe* Best pick-up line? Hey baby, you a golden scar? Cuz I’d drop anything for you! Biggest deal breaker? She’s a Lord of the Rings fan Denomination? It don’t matter Favourite preacher? Billy Graham rip Age limit (max/min) None, we’re open minded Good age to get married? ASAP (Rocky) What skill will you pass on to your future children? ADD What type of animal represents you? Lemurs What theme do you envision for the wedding? Tropical. What is your signature dish? Scrambled eggs and Eggos Favourite action movie Star Wars How many kids do you want? Enough to fill up Tilted Towers Favorite summer activities? Getting rowdy with the @6lowhomies

What would our lives look like if we were released from the bondage of secret or public hurt that others have caused? What would our lives look like if we were able to move our deepest hurts caused by self or others into the realm of forgiveness and love? To a degree, we have all experienced hurt leading us to forgiveness but perhaps there has been an unimaginable level of offense in which forgiveness does not seem possible. Choosing to forgive the unexplainable actions of another or ourselves does not stem from our own human capabilities or strength; in contrast, forgiveness stems from the heart of Jesus Christ. The ability to forgive another is based on a love that this world or our self-efforts cannot manufacture. Forgiveness is a choice not a feeling. Forgiveness does not condone the wrong and hurtful actions of sinful human nature. Forgiveness grows from a place of love into a place of humility, understanding that at the core of our being we are sinful and in need of forgiveness. When we take the action of releasing our offenders to the ultimate judge in surrender of forgiveness, Christ graciously lifts that heavy burden from us. Through personal and challenging experiences of betrayal, disappointment, fear, shame and broken relationships, I was brought to foreign place of hurt experiencing abandonment, shattered trust and sexual abuse. Although despair threatened to swallow me, I have seen the faithfulness, grace and mercy that Jesus Christ freely bestowed upon my life. Jesus called me to hate the sin not the person. I experienced the healing power of Christ as He softened my heart and refined my perspective to understand that there is beauty in brokenness and freedom in forgiveness. I have been transformed. He lifted my weary head and carried my burdens. He used the “seeds” that came my way in the messiness of life and began to faithfully use them, even the most painful circumstances. While in the darkness, I yearned to be free from the bondage of anger, hurt and hate. My journey toward the freedom of forgiveness began in a place of supernatural humility when I recognized that I was utterly broken and desperately in need of my own forgiveness. In this place of brokenness, I knew that I didn’t have anything of self to offer; I was desperate to exchange my depravity for Christ’s LIFE in me admitting that I had nothing to give, no strength to fight and no ability to produce or receive feelings of love or forgiveness. I was at the end of self. Finally, I came to a place where God was able to teach me that it is not my place to punish or judge those who have hurt me because Christ is the ultimate judge. Once I understood this, my heart was softened. Fighting for the freedom found in forgiveness was not an easy route but Christ overtook the battle and filled me with His supernatural love toward those who betrayed me. The burden of feeling like a victim was lifted and replaced with radical love and the ability to truly forgive through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in me. The process of forgiveness did not simply go away but I was transformed knowing that I am dead to my own sin and ALIVE in Christ. He alone can fight the battle of my soul when I want to take back the work that He has already accomplished. Time and again I am reminded that we are not defined by the hurts of our past; we are defined through the promises of Jesus Christ. Actively pursuing forgiveness pulls us into the true and free reality of who we are created to be as individuals with a purpose to love and be loved without the heaviness of human corruption. When we are released from the bondage of unforgiveness we begin to heal and it is then that the very love of God can flow through us; radically impacting our lives. Ephesians 4:32 states, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ Jesus has forgiven you.” Live radically for Jesus – the exchanged life of Christ in us, the HOPE of glory.

The FitnessGram™ Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues. The 20 metre pacer test will begin in 30 seconds. Line up at the start. The running speed starts slowly, but gets faster each minute after you head this signal. [beep] A single lap should be completed each time you hear this sound. [ding] Remember to run in a straight line, and run as long as possible. The second time you fail to complete a lap before the sound, your test is over. The test will begin on the word start. On your mark, get ready, start.- Linda Arce


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