Volume 22 Issue 2: Routine

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MARS’ H I L L

ROUTINE VO LUME 2 2

ISSUE 2

OCT. 4 / 17


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THE TEAM

ALEX GUST

Managing Editor

FROM THE EDITOR

TORI AHRENDT Visual Editor

Are routines and habits the same thing? BROOKE PATTYN Layout Editor

CHRISALEEN CIRO News Editor

When I was in grade seven, my elementary school vice-principal got up to speak at our monthly assembly. “It takes doing something 13 times in a row for it to become a habit,” he said.

NIKI MARA

Academy Editor

JAMISON DERKSEN Sports Editor

HANNAH DEVRIES Chief Copy Editor

MAYA JUSMAN Illustration Editor

EMILIO RODRIGUEZ Media Editor

JOEL REDEKOP

Arts & Culture Editor

SABINE HENDERSON Humour Editor

MADISON POWERS Photo Editor

BAILEY MARTENS Web Editor

RYAN SCHAFFRICK Advertising and Finance Manager

Eleven-year-old Katie sat there, along with five hundred and something other children, thinking about how this could apply to her life. What exactly he was trying to explain is beyond my memory, and why I recall this moment in that assembly is unexplainable. At the time, my habits revolved around a simple routine that I was inadvertently aware of: wake up, eat something pumped full of sugar for breakfast (probably Fruit Loops, let’s be honest), hitch a ride with mom to school, “do” school, walk home, attempt to perform some musical instrument (either scratching the living daylights out of my violin or begrudgingly playing the piano), go upstairs for dinner, stay up late on my computer, then, eventually go to bed. This continued for several years; in fact, a similar routine made up most of my pre-university days. I did it because that’s simply what life was, and if I didn’t, well, that wouldn’t make much sense, now would it? A few years later, I read through the entirety of Genesis. While I am sure many of you have done that by now too, it was a big feat as a 13-year-old. I committed a few minutes each night to read the book. It was painful. I wasn’t particularly interested in learning about Old Testament people and events, but I wanted to prove to myself (and probably my mom) that I was in the Word. Sure, I could tell you what happened in the book, but I’m positive it’s not solely from reading every single page at that one point in time. It wasn’t from the routine of reading. It’s from the accumulation of deliberate quiet times with the Lord, learning at church and study of the Word. Despite only being 13 years old and not having a keen interest in the Bible at the time, I am confident that my monotonous devotion to Genesis reflected a routine that I got caught up in.

The thing about both my elementary habits and my time reading through the Bible were that they weren’t overly intentional – yes, I was aware of what was going on, but I was not purposefully crafting deliberate focus for my tasks. I’m not discrediting my participation, but I just did life, just as I plowed through the Bible. It just happened because I had to do it. I yearn to make spending time with Jesus a habit, but I’m not completely sure I want to make it a routine. If I’m being honest with you, a routine calms me because it means that I am in control. It also makes me think that if I get into a regular system, nothing in my day will ever be purposeful or unique, nothing at the hand of God who asks me to trust Him. One day when He calls on me, I might not be ready because all I’ve been doing is the same thing, day-in and dayout. While I know that is not true, it scares me to think that my relationship with God could become something that looks like robotically opening my Bible, reading His Word, pumping out a prayer and then carrying on with my day. Yes, reading His Word every day and spending time in His presence every day is something I strive for, but if I’m doing the same thing, saying the same thing repeatedly, would spending time with Him not reflect my heart in the moment? I can assure you, my heart is one that moves, evolves, and every day I have something different to bring before Him. I believe He calls us to create a purposeful time for understanding who He is. Maybe that starts with creating a system, focused habits and growing from there. What does that look like for you? Until next time, Katie Maryschuk

MARS’ HILL

MISSION TO MARS

EDITORIAL POLICY

CONTRIBUTORS

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.

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.

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. 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.

Samuel Chan Madison Friesen Dayna Slusar Josiah Haynes Zuzana Christowova Eric Stein Kevin Redekop Charlotte Elson Caylie Edlund Joey Schweitzer Andrew Richmond

M AR S ’ H I L L

What was ruined because it became popular?

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Loranne Brown

7600 Glover Rd, Langley, BC, V2Y 1Y1 604-513-2109 marshill@gmail.com www.marshill.ca This issue brought to you by Blobby typewriters Pants Slepy boi


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C O M M U N I T Y CO R N E R

DE-CLASSIFIEDS

I’m too busy to post declassifieds HAPPY (late) BIRTHDAY CHAD!!! I love living on a construction site According to all known laws of aviation, Is Graeme the social media king?

The only people that can hate on marshill, are the people who have more awards than marshill (ie. nobody) I love going for breakfast at 10 and there’s no food #sodexo there is no way a bee should be able to fly. I just came here to AirDrop random people memes in class. – Please, join my classes. – Alex Is Riley the conclusion to Tobin? Or was Tobin the prelude to Riley? One of the weirdest thing about university is being in class with married people.

Instagraeme

The bee, of course, flies anyway From my point of view, the Jedi are evil. Oh how the turntables joey schweitzer has 3 back-toback solo chicken dinners in PUBG #legend because bees don’t care what humans think is impossible. DREW ELI-could-be-the-nAmeof-our-SON

Is it me? Or does James Hielema look like a Targaryen/Thor descendant?

Mars hill is fake news. – At least we’re not “foos”! – Alex

ginger ale ice cream floats are actually the best thing #firstissueparty

“If belly hair isn’t cool, I don’t know what I’ve been doing this whole time”

Disappointed in the first years de-classified game. – First years, step it up. It’s anonymous. Promise. www.marshill.ca

Was this “new character limit” a bluff? – No. – Alex

Alex is relatively competent. He is a tolerable colleague. – Thanks, Brooke. – Alex mars hill backwards is llih sram

hi Sarah Wright

Joey’s grip strength

Why did the bird go to the hospital? To get a tweetment.

#weeniesbondaroo

ATTENTION all guys that have class in RNT: thanks for checking out your flexing reflection in my first-floor dorm window when walking to class. Please continue. Dear Kaitlyn, we had a class together last semester and you swept me off my feet. I hope you remember me.

Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground.

Dear Alex, Your team seems pretty close. Can you ask Katie what the odds of her going on a blind date are? Sincerely, not Dirk (sorry Dirk)

Graeme Geddes, one more victory lap?

Since when does Tarzan go to trinity?

Graeme Geddes for TWUSA 6th year rep!

Joel’s guilty pleasure is Carly Rae Jepsen

SUBMIT YOUR DECLASSIFIEDS AT: WWW.MARSHILLS.CA

Gian Steenkamp is leaving TWU soon and he is still single.... there is something fundamentally wrong with this picture. #nextHimnal Can I just say that the CA team this year is outstanding? And let’s be honest, really cute. ;) Jared, thank you for including the marginalized Change the website link on your Facebook page. – Okay. Done. 1A, still waiting for you to give us something to hang on our wall. -McMillan 102 #nibblenibble Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise?

Life is like a box of chocolates. I’m severely allergic to chocolate. Are you Methuselah? Because you’re too old for me.

YIKES The new sodexo system is promoting a divide between residents and commuters. We must fight back. #foodshouldbepeaceful Clue 1/5: What does cali teach? tabitha wellsandt can i pls have ur number

Are you Joshua? Because I’d let my walls tumble down for you.

The new choose your own adventure thing is sick. Shoutout to Alex disGUSTing!!! – Thanks, my dude(ette)! – Alex

Are you Jesus? Because you’re not. Heathen. Blasphemer. Heretic.

men of trinity: a business idea isn’t a substitute for a personality

I miss Joey. We didn’t talk much but I still miss him. – I didn’t go anywhere, idiot. – Joey Schweitzer, McMillan 102

Home Tips from D.E.: If your shower drain is clogged, use a toothbrush! The bristles have great cleaning power and the handle has dope grip!

@L has to stop tagging you in these freaking Facebook posts because they’re unoriginal and not funny.

It’s just easier to file your taxes when you’re single.

Andrew Richmond low key has one of the nicest bods on campus. – “I would be concerned that some chick said this about Andrew, but I figure there’s about an 88% chance that he’s actually the one who submitted this.” – Corinna Scholing

brooke is a generally decent person. needs to fix her attitute.

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.

In this issue ...

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10-11

WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE LAW SCHOOL?

THE RITUAL IS THE WAY Feature

News

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KETAMINE KARAOKE Academy

“despacito” – Tricia Jeranie

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THE NEW SHOW IN VEGAS Sports


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NEWS WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE LAW SCHOOL? CHRISALEEN CIRO One of the conversation topics Trinity Western students “love to hate” is the “law school case.” Some of us may have an aunt who is a lawyer that has a unique perspective on the case; others of us may have sisters from Ontario who know a certain little detail, which most people do not understand. In other words, one of the reasons we “love to hate” this conversation is because we all seem to be working with different facts. Little do we know that even referring to it as “the law school case” is a misnomer. In actuality, the law school has been involved in three separate cases in three different provinces. The two current cases continue in the Surpeme Court come this November and December.

Society of British Columbia initially accepted Trinity Western’s request for accreditation, but, upon a referendum of the province’s lawyers, they reversed their decision. Therefore, despite participating in a society governed by the same rule of law, said rule of law came to opposite conclusions regarding the legitimacy of our school. Implications As students, we are called to critically examine our position in society and our potential to contribute to important conversations. As students of Trinity Western in particular, it is imperative we examine how the “law school cases” will impact our position and the conversations we will need to be apart of.

President Bob Kuhn says, “Trinity Western University strives Important Contrasts to provide Canada, a nation that is rooted in the principles of pluThe Law Society of Upper Cana- ralism and diversity, with leadda and the Nova Scotia Barristers’ ers who will make their own Society rejected Trinity Western’s positive and unique request for accreditation for the contributions to this law school. In contrast, the Law society. The impor-

“Looking at the bigger picture, a loss at the Supreme Court of Canada could threaten freedom of conscience and religion in our country, and open the door to discrimination towards Christian universities, schools, communities, organizations, and all people of faith.” tance of the challenge faced by [the school] must not be underestimated as we work towards this goal… Looking at the bigger picture, a loss at the Supreme Court of Canada could threaten freedom of conscience and religion in our country, and open the door to discrimination towards Christian universities, schools, communities, organizations, and all people of faith.” On the way in which a Trinity Western degree positions us in the job market: many students have been required to defend their experience and education from the school in job interviews, while others, such as graduates from our professional programs, continue to be sought after. Some professors have expressed they feel the school’s reputation has

“Trinity Western University strives to provide Canada, a nation that is rooted in the principles of pluralism and diversity, with leaders who will make their own positive and unique contributions to this society...” “Earth” – Andrew Richmond

suffered over the last four years, sabotaging some of their academic effort. Others claim to be welcomed for their diverse opinions in secular academic spaces. Trinity Western is currently in the midst of two Supreme Court cases, one in which we are being challenged, and another where we are the challenger. As a Canadian citizen, we take comfort in our rule of law, and would like to believe we can predict the outcomes of the hearings. Many of us believe the outcomes to be obvious. The dynamic nature of Trinity Western, however, and inherently complex nature of law, makes prediction a useless exercise. Instead, we should work towards unity. While we may never have uniform facts or predictions, as a community we can work towards being better at having c o n v e rsations whether we “love to hate” them, or not.


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Source: https://www.twu.ca/proposed-school-law/timeline “Mars’ Hill” – Mathew Kim :(


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WHEN RACISM BECOMES ROUTINE CHRISALEEN CIRO With Banana Challenge behind us, Halloween and Fort Week ahead of us, it is time to have an important conversation. While grabbing a cowboy hat for a picture or slathering on some face paint for a community building ritual may seem harmless, or even necessary, costumes are still a privilege that need to be approached with maturity. I, as the writer, have failed at this. In my first year, my dorm dressed up as Pocahontas for the Banana Challenge.

a socio-economic stereotype, is wearing another image of the living God as a mere costume. When I dressed up as Pocahontas for Banana Challenge, I was guilty of cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is, as Dr. Todd Martin defines it, “the use of someone else’s culture without the intent to spread or celebrate it, usually for selfish reasons.” By putting on the costume of a person from a culture that was not my own, I was distilling her experience into an image that was convenient for me, and disregarding it when it was no longer convenient.

The Bible, which is the blueprint for our community, tells us that God everyone in his image. This image is not to be desecrated, disrespected, or displayed for our own purposes. From that perspective, putting black paint on our pale skin, or appropriating

EMILIO RODRIGUEZ Intolerance to subtle racism and cultural appropriation in our daily life is not being overly-sensitive. Respect for all cultures must be the accepted standard in the Christian community. I address you as people of goodwill. I want to think that if you have been culturally insensitive in your actions, it was due to ignorance, not hatred. This is by no means an excuse to keep perpetuating it. Therefore, I make a call to all members of our community to condemn the misinterpretation of other cultures or people groups and avoid potentially oppressive messages. Not because international students can get offended, or because we might face consequences with Student Life, but because we are Christians. We are to uphold

HONG KONG: A CITY IN NEED OF POLITICAL REFORM

On August 17, 2017, three of the Occupy Movement leaders were sentenced to jail for unlawful assembly and inciting others to take part in unlawful assembly, as reported on South China Morning Post. They were sentenced to jail for breaking into Hong Kong’s Civic Square, a place intended for the public to voice their opinions, but was closed off during the Occupy Movement. These three in-

A tangible example? During CanAm soccer, avoid chanting “Build the Wall” as has happened in previous years. Thousands of people, including families and children, are literally running away from death in Central America and Mexico. In my country alone, El Salvador, 92 people were murdered in the lapse of three days this past September. Knowing that, you would understand that closing the border to refugees is not particularly humorous. I am not being insensitive when I condemn even a vaguely hurtful chant at a sports event. Instead, I am requesting the respect I deserve as a new creation of Christ.

Systems’ since its handover from Britain to China in 1997. The territory retains its legal system, currency, and way of life and it has remained nearly unchanged for 50 years. Some deem independence a necessary political reform if the people of China refuse to respect the people of Hong Kong’s right to universal suffrage.

SAMUEL CHAN Perhaps division and anger are not the first things one would think of when imagining the former British colony, Hong Kong. Especially since the autonomous territory has grown into an international financial centre with food, shopping, and luxury one could only hope for. Hong Kong, however, has been a centre of political controversy since the 2014 Occupy Movement. For more than two months in 2014, it attracted thousands of people in protest and put the central business district at a standstill. Most of the protesters were high school and university students, advocating for democracy and universal suffrage. These rights are promised in Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law.

the dignity of people from every nation and tribe.

dividuals: Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, and Alex Chow were originally sentenced to community service. The Court of Appeal, however, found the sentences to be too lenient and changed their sentences to a maximum of eight months in jail. In response, 25 international figures, including British foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind; US congressman Christopher Smith; Canadian Member of Parliament Garnett Genuis and Mohamed Nasheed, the former president of the Maldives, made a joint statement denouncing the sentences and demanding release. Their statement read: “We stand in solidarity with these three brave young men, we condemn [Thursday’s] verdict by the Court of Ap-

peal, we call for it to be reviewed and for these three political prisoners to be released. (SCMP)”. Since the onset of the Occupy Movement in 2014, increasing numbers of people are not only advocating for democracy and universal suffrage in Hong Kong, but also for Hong Kong to become its own independent country. It is currently an autonomous territory of China, or more formally known as The Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. The Hong Kong government has responded by trying to shut down such conversations. Such action by the government is an affront to Basic Law, which safeguards freedom of speech. Hong Kong has been operating under the system of ‘One Country, Two

“Microdermabrasion” – Joey Schweitzer

Independence is a very controversial topic in Hong Kong and rightly so, as it threatens the sovereignty of China. Currently, Hong Kong has an executive-led government with the head of government being the Chief Executive who is elected by 1200 people; a legislature that is semi-elected and has no power to hold the government accountable. Unfortunately, the government of Hong Kong is accountable only to China, and not the people of Hong Kong. This leaves 7 million people with a small representation in a government that is dominated by businesses and financial institutions. Sadly, as the events of 2014 and more recently this past August have revealed, the Hong Kong government lies far from an ideal representation of their people. For too many years, these people have been waiting for democracy to thrive in China. If this ideal is truly possible, then the future of the country lies in the hands of the people. The democracy and autonomy present is held by a tiny thread, and if mainland China decides to cut that thread, Hong Kong may fall victim to many other cities in China with little to no human rights protections.


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ACADEMY DE(CADENCE) MADISON FRIESEN I have been thinking about the word ‘decadence’ lately – do you know it? People speak about the ‘decadent society’ that is twenty-first century North America, marked by excessive indulgence and a kind of deceptive peace that cloaks a crumbling society. At least that is how I hear the word used most often, nowadays. I am, however, thinking about the roots of this word: the prefix ‘de’ and the stem ‘cadence.’ Perhaps these roots can give new meaning to what we talk about when we speak of our ‘decadent society.’ The prefix denotes moving ‘away from’; ‘cadence’ refers to a ‘rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words.’ Put together, the word ‘decadence’ comes to mean something along the lines of ‘a movement away from rhythmic flow.’ What does this mean, in actual experience? Where do we find decadence in our real, ordinary lives?

GATEWAY JOBS

NIKI MARA Humility is a virtue many deem important, but few put to practice. One might think that something as simple as speaking respectfully to service personnel should not be a suggestion, but an instinct. However, Sunday church service with the whole family is more often than not followed by a trip to the nearest fastfood joint, at which the parents do not shy away from throwing rude slurs at the drive-thru worker. Every godly virtue that was “amen’d” from the pew just minutes ago is suddenly forgotten. Every time a customer disregarded my humanity working in that fastfood joint, played pranks on me, or decided their slightly-not-steaming fries were worth starting a revolution for, my heart shattered into a million pieces. What devastation tore the lives of these people apart so much that they felt the need to take out their anger on me, a humble cashier? Over the past two years of working in the fast food and restaurant busi-

One literary example comes to mind that sheds light on my own experience of decadence. I think of Huxley’s Brave New World, which I read this past summer. I think of its opening chapters, where prospective workers receive an inside tour of the Directorate of Hatcheries and Conditioning – the place where the children of this utopian dream are created. Here, at the DHC, everything is engineered; you could say that there is a rhythm, but it strikes me as a kind of hyper-rhythm, one that lacks any and all spontaneity or flow. Conveyor belts carry embryos into which chemical concoctions melt their codes of caste and taste: “This one will be an Alpha; this one will enjoy the saxophone.” Ironically, the engineering and conditioning go towards shaping an inverse experience for the utopian society’s members: there is a hyper-flow, a complete fluidity, in their Soma-induced, boundless promiscuity – is this something akin to the primeval chaotic waters, prior to their ordering by God in Genesis 1? In any

case, Huxley’s world is one of either all rhythm or all flow; it lacks ‘rhythmic flow,’ a kind of integrity between the boundaries and structures of life and the actual, on-the-spot living of life, in which all sorts of unexpected things can happen.

ness, I have learned not only how to salt fries and hold eight glasses of water with one hand, but I have discovered a simple truth. The customers that were the most pleasant to serve were always the ones that had previous food industry experience. I stumbled onto the simple realization that starting your vocational journey from the lowly jobs is the best thing you can do for yourself and for the community you are a part of. So many success stories take their baby steps in the greasy grills of underfunded fast-food joints, and the people that work in such conditions and live to tell the tale are the ones that show the in greatest appreciation for those that have the jobs they once held.

an hour is strenuous and unrewarding, which is why every positive interaction makes my day a bit more bearable.

I see myself getting stuck in the muck of these two extremes, too often: hyper-rhythm and hyper-flow. I want my life to be completely ordered, totally planned-out, so that I can be in full control. I want to forecast all the details of the next twelve months, now. Simultaneously, I want this full control to be in service of a life that is maxed out with spectacle – the ‘extraordinary.’ I want the next twelve months to be adventurous, exciting, and compelling, and I want all this immediately. Like many of my friends, I find myself saying, “I can’t wait,” all the time. I want full control over a life of out-of-control, out-ofthis-world ecstasy, one eureka moment after another, until they all blur together. This is decadence. This is a rebellion against the middle ground

Working in the service industry plays

of structure and spontaneity singing together – cadence. I would like to suggest that you and I embrace the wisdom of cadence. To enter cadence (call it routine, or ritual, or rhythm, if you like), is to reconceive the ordinary as the holiest of landscapes – the very arena in which God invites you to participate in God’s purposes. Yes, it will be difficult, slow, and boring at times, but without the hardships of resisting the race after spectacle, grace will never be something we can receive. When we are running after satisfaction, we will miss the contentment to be found right here, in our midst. Here, the fictional John Ames, from the pages of Marilynn Robinson’s Gilead, speaks a word of encouragement to us, but also one of provocation: “Wherever you turn your eyes, the world can shine like transfiguration. You don’t have to bring a thing to it except willingness to see. Only, who could have the courage to see it?”

an undisputed role in one’s personal development. Why, if I had it my way, working in the food industry for at least a month would be a universal requirement. Imagine how much of a nicer place the world would be.

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“Avocado Toast” – Katrina Reynolds


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THE OTTAWA HABIT DAYNA SLUSAR “I look forward to having a routine here.” This is the phrase I heard from more than one of my housemates during Orientation Week at the Laurentian Leadership Centre. Here in Ottawa, the LLC has a n impressive line-up of orientation sessions, including etiquette training, cooking classes, and tours around the city to get us comfortable with the lifestyle of the program. It

THE POLITICAL CHURCH; AFTER BABEL JOSIAH HAYNES How faith and politics interact has been the subject of heated debate. Can religious people separate their political and social philosophies from their faith teachings and respective worldviews? This is the question being asked of Christians whose religious and political lives intertwine. However, the question is based on false premises. Why should they separate these dimensions? To banish “personal beliefs” such as faith to private living, is to expel the religious from the political process, or else make them hypocrites. Truth being what it is, religious people who wish to be faithful should come at politics with worldviews and policy choices consistent with their ideational structure, including their faith. The better question is, “What does Christian politics look like?” Political theology is a massive subject, but one dimension of the conversation and one historically common answer has been to suggest a marriage of church and state. I would argue that this is not a solution. The appeal to church and state is typically motivated by a sense of urgency to establish the Kingdom of Heaven in and through earthly government. But Scripture affirms Christ will return and establish holy reign over all nations. In light of this,

is fully-packed, tightly scheduled, and a very important week for the students in the LLC program and it started the very night we arrived. Coming out of a full summer, many of us felt a mental and physical strain on our bodies as we adjusted to a new routine that was busy and full of information. It was all helpful information, but full nonetheless (and apparently, our class had more free time than previous cohorts).

human theocratic rule seems impatient and even idolatrous. Surely not even ambitious popes nor philosopher kings can stand in for a sovereign God in a meaningful and permanent way. Not to mention political rulers are naturally tempted to pursue their own glory or magnify the desired greatness of their state. Biblical imagery seems to call this the spirit of Babel, the elevation of human glory against God’s. The metaphor of the kingdom of Babylon captures the idea of a political idol at war with the City of God, and like Esau, theocratic Christianity captures the metaphor of a church unfaithful to her returning groom. Clearly, the Church should be skeptical of political figures peddling glory of either kind, theocratic or nationalist. Soli Deo Gloria, as the reformer said. Glory be to God alone.

Amidst it all though, it was not yet the real routine. It was simply orientation week; it only lasted five days. What we were looking forward to, and where the phrase came from, were our class schedules and our work schedules in the offices of our internship placements. Once we had the flow of those things figured out, we knew we would feel more settled into life here. Five weeks in now and I think we are all doing better because of the paces we have established. Living in the mansion at the LLC, you have your personal routine, but you also have a macro routine with the entire household. Mansion meetings on Tuesdays, museum nights on Thursdays, day-trips

state does not mean it should be secular, and just because the church should not govern, does not mean it should not be deeply involved in civil society. If justice is the purpose of law and the form of justice exists as an attribute of God, then God’s law is the purest expression of the truly good law. Preservation of the pure, wrath towards the evil, mercy towards the repentant. Constitutional, criminal, and civil law should be informed by this pattern of divine justice and mercy known through a systematic Biblical theology. Good government goes beyond protection of the material necessities of life. The duty of government is to provide for

Lest I fail to offend liberal sensibilities, I will point out that Jesus said, “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” However, it looks as though everyone seems to forget both belong to God. A truly secular state is a truly atheist state; real pluralism does not exist, and even if it did it would not be desirable. We have something infinitely better at our fingertips! The Christian worldview attests to a role for faith in government. Just because the church should not govern the “Brooke Pattyn” – Tori Ahrendt

on Saturdays, and church groups on Sundays. Each weeknight you sit down to a meal with your food group. One thing that I appreciate about the structure of our LLC program is the fact that we do not have to work on Saturdays. Having a routine with others in the house creates an expectation that allows for suggestion, exploration, friendly interaction, and more fun amongst the group. I think most of us appreciate having some sort of a routine. Be it loose or rigid, it sustains a consistency that helps us be in the same spaces with the same people to build relationships and engage in community with others within that time and place. For the Trinity students spending a semester in Ottawa, that place is a historic mansion on Metcalfe street.

the welfare of citizens, and the spiritual and ideational state of people is undoubtedly a matter of critical wellness. Culture is the reflection of the ideational state of a nation; all hinges on it. Therefore, it is paramount that governments cultivate culture working for the good of their people. Authentic Christians have a fantastic opportunity to advance in society! Since God is prime reality, He and His attributes are the highest truths and the greatest goods there are. Knowledge of God and His ways constitute the greatest component of human welfare and the best foundation for culture, which means that a government who seeks the welfare of its people must also seek God and teach the things of God to the people.

A formal marriage of church and state is a hindrance to the primary mission of the church, but the West’s political experiment in secularization inevitably descends down a rabbit hole of ideological nihilism and cultural anxiety. Perhaps this needs to change.


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KETAMINE KARAOKE ZUZANA CHRISTOWOVA Ketamine has been tested as a cure for treatment-resistant bipolar disorder. This is what I have been diagnosed with. The benefits are short term, and the quality of the evidence supporting tangible benefit is usually low. My relationship with Ketamine started out very casually. I was in a very experimental phase of my life when it came to substances, because they were incredibly fun and they come with new sensations and friends. It was an amazing escape from life into a totally different world. Complete nihilism. My friends were playing something called Ketamine Karaoke. You snort a line and sing a song to see how far you can get into the song until your verbal fluency completely fails you. I decided to join in. It was all in good fun. I never thought that a couple years later I would be ripping a gram up

my nose every day. I consistently craved the feeling of disassociation. I made my best pieces of art and poetry. The lines I needed to write just appeared on the page and they felt natural; every stroke of ink had a purpose. It was the ultimate creative vice and it helped me distance myself from the unyielding weight of my illness and my life. I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize my own face, and I derived a sick pleasure from it. As my motor function severely decreased when I was high, it felt like I simultaneously became the puppeteer and the marionette. I lost sight of who I was and could have been. Every day I got a little further away. With every line of Ketamine I snorted, I lost a little more of my past. My goal was to erase it all, but I just ended up feeling more lost. I still have trouble remembering to roll up the window or lock the doors sometimes. I still have difficulty re-

calling the names and faces of past lovers and friends. I do, however, remember the day I wanted to be my last. I picked a soundtrack. I ran my bath. I prepared the rest of the Ketamine I had, grabbed what was left of my Xanax and an unused bottle of Prozac. Maybe it could look like I fell asleep in the bath. My father’s sister had died that way.

it at night while everyone else slept.

I checked on the bath. The water was cold. My landlord lived upstairs and he had used up all the hot water. He had ruined my suicide. I decided that I would have to kill myself another day, and I guess that day never ended up coming.

What I did not expect was that after a while of being sober, I seemed to accumulate all of these people and things around me that made me want to experience life again. I never thought I would get to a point in life where I was actually glad I stuck around.

I have been sober for half a year now. I wish I could say that I got sober because people around me helped me realize the value of life and the damage I was doing to myself and everyone around me. In reality, I just ran out and I could not afford it anymore. No one knew about this secret. I carried the addiction during the day and then let it out and fed

“the Tower of Babel” – Andrew Richmond

In the end, I remember all of the bad things I intended to forget, and forgot many of the things that make me relatable and reliable. I could not tell you if I remembered to eat today, or what I did over the weekend, but I could recite every nightmare I was not able to drown.

So, I am learning how to live again. I am easily overwhelmed and I expect that my brain might never fully recover but I can honestly say I am excited for what is to come, and that is something I have never felt before.


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THE RITUAL IS THE WAY

J O E Y “Bottom questions” – Alex Gust

SCHWEITZER


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Get up, start the coffee, 30 push-ups, 30 sit- touted the phrase highly: “Lex orandi lex creups, shower. Get dressed, eat some oats, dendi”, which is loosely, “as we pray, so we believe.” The earliest of Christians, some who drink the coffee, done. may have actually witnessed the works of Jeoutine is the backbone of every- sus in person, worshiped him through ritual, thing we do. I have a routine, long before the books of the Bible were even you have a routine, we all have decided. Ritual was the foundation of faith in a routine. Even if you don’t think the early church, not this obsession with feelyou have a routine, you’re fooling ing close to Jesus. yourself, because routines form automatically, subconsciously, and whether This may rub some Christians the wrong way you want them to or not. If we’re not con- - those who base the status of their relationsciously forming good routines, we’re uncon- ship with Christ on how “into it” they are sciously forming bad ones - so we must con- at praise and worship nights. Many fall into sciously form ones that build us up instead of the false notion that loving Christ is primaritearing us down, and ones that shape us into ly about feeling like you’re in love with him. the people we ought to be. Some routines As if feeling the spirit stirs your emotions at become so integral to the way we think, act, Church, and singing loudly and feeling reand live that they become the framework that ally great about it is what loving Christ is all supports our entire belief system; our entire about. It’s not. lives. They become more than just routine; they become ritual. But doesn’t Jesus call us to have an intimate, personal relationship with him? Yes. As a Catholic, the foundation of my faith is built upon ritual. I go to Mass every Sunday So if I don’t feel that feeling when I worship, night with my friend, Ramón, because I must; isn’t my relationship with Christ lacking in it’s just what I do. I was baptized as an infant, some sort of intimacy? Not at all. had my first Confession and Communion at age seven - and so did every other kid in my Think for a minute about fresh relationships, second grade class. At 12 years old, once or first dates. In the beginning, you’re relying again, in the company of all the other Cath- on a fleeting endorphin rush to fuel the entire olic kids my age, I received the Sacrament relationship. It’s juvenile and unsustainable. of Confirmation, strengthening my militancy You know that at some point those fuzzy feeland resolve towards my faith. ings will fade, and unless you have developed a more profound and healthy partnership, the I followed this structure because that’s just relationship will grow cold, dead, and meanhow it is in the Catholic Church. At certain ingless. It will disintegrate. Likewise, your reages you receive certain Sacraments, and lationship with Christ must be a lot deeper while you technically do have a choice in the than just that feeling. That feeling is great matter, hardly any kid postpones receiving and should be cherished, but it’s a bonus, a Communion or getting Confirmed because blessing; something that is undeniably good, they don’t feel ready yet. They do it because but absolutely fleeting. Your love for Christ it’s what is done. It’s part of the ritual. should be there whether that feeling is or not - and that can only come from a relationship I can’t recall ever feeling like receiving any of that is covenantal, and unconditional; a lot the Sacraments when I was a kid, but it really more like marriage. doesn’t matter, either, because worship and our relationship with Our Saviour shouldn’t be In marriage you enter into a covenant relabased on feelings. Receiving the Sacraments tionship by swearing an oath. A husband, no is a lifelong ritual that calls us to participate in matter how he feels on a certain day, must our faith and our relationship with Christ. The care for his wife, putting her before himself, ritual gets us there when our feelings don’t. every day of the week, in sickness and in And the more intentional and purposeful we health. Because love isn’t that fuzzy feeling become in these rituals, the deeper we are you get when you first hold hands - those drawn into our personal relationship with him. are hormones. Actual love is listening to her Ancient Christians understood this - as they problems, even though you may think her

R

“short term missions trips” – Katie Maryschuk

problems are silly. Love is going on a double date with her friend Tina and her boyfriend Stan, even though you sort of can’t stand either of them and they’re not funny. In essence, love is the act of putting someone else before yourself, even if you don’t always feel like it. Why should loving Christ be any different? Showing up to church even if you don’t feel like it, standing up straight and picking up a hymnal and singing - even though your tone-deafness makes the person in front of you uncomfortable, is loving God. Actually feeling good about yourself and the Lord is important too, but that feeling is not why you’re there. You are there because God is the Lord of all things and you must worship him. It is your duty. Just like a husband must be there for his wife, because that is what true love looks like. Occasionally, before I go to Mass with Ramón, there is no part of me that feels super excited about doing so. Mass isn’t all that fun. But putting my occasional indifference aside in order to honour the Lord brings me peace beyond understanding, because I am living the way I ought to live, and honouring him because of who he is. There is a certain peace in knowing you’re doing the right thing, even when it doesn’t excite you. So if you’re serious about your faith, create a routine around it, or better yet, have a ritual. Make the theme of this ritual spiritual growth, rather than enjoyability. Of course, you’re allowed to enjoy it, but always remember that enjoyability should never be the point. A good ritual will act as the foundation of your spiritual life whether enthusiasm is there or not. For me, it’s going to mass on Sundays, weekdays, and praying before each meal. For you, it could be daily morning devotional readings on your front porch or going to chapel every day. Ritual will strengthen your relationship with Christ, even on days when you’re not feeling it. By putting in the time, doing your duty, and loving him - by placing him first, and your preferences second, it sets the framework for a deeper, more mature relationship with Christ.


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ARTS & CULTURE PATERSON’S EVERYDAY ESCAPE JOEL REDEKOP Routine is almost always subconsciously related to the banal, the unremarkable. Contemporary culture, obsessed with sensation and experience, has deemed it as something that is to be avoided or, at the very least, as something to be endured without little in the way of thought. Cinema often operates on this same understanding of routine. The movie going experience is usually treated as escapism. A film like Guardians of the Galaxy is popcorn fare, light entertainment providing us with a momentary distraction from all that worries us outside of the dark, air-conditioned theatre we are occupying. The popular trope of an “Average Joe” being thrown into extraordinary circumstance is just as common, seen in everything from Kingsman: The Secret Service to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. There is nothing wrong with escapism necessarily, but it becomes a problem when a culture desires escape over everything else.

despite receiving near-universal critical acclaim. The way in which it went unnoticed was incredibly fitting; there is no reason for a film this unassuming to be a box office smash. Paterson concerns itself with seven days in the life of a man named Paterson, played by Adam Driver. He lives in the town of Paterson, New Jersey, where he drives a bus. When he is not working, he leads a quaint life with a girlfriend he adores. His free minutes are taken up with the writing of poetry, and his evenings are spent walking his dog and having a drink at the neighbourhood bar. Beyond these mundane activities, little else happens during Paterson’s 118-minute runtime, save for an ending that is surreal in the mildest sense of the word.

In its very nature, the life of a bus driver is routine, visiting the same stops at the same times every day. Yet, Paterson is a character that not only invites routine, but is also inspired by it. In Heraclitan fashion, Paterson understands that the world around him is in a constant state of change, and that even if his day-to-day actions remain the same, he is bound to experience So, in its very conception, Jim the world around him Jarmusch’s Paterson is, paradox- in a unique way. The philosically, an extraordinary film. Re- character’s ceiving a very limited release in ophy is best reprethe first couple months of 2017, sented in his poem, it went without much notice from the public and received no recognition from the Academy Awards,

Another One: When you’re a child, you learn that there are three dimensions Height, width and depth Like a shoebox Then later you hear there’s a fourth dimension Time Hmm In his reflective existence, Paterson is always glad, seeing beauty in every detail of his life. He values the conversation he has with the middle schooler he meets on his way home from work, who shares with him her poem about rain. The conversations that he overhears on his bus route never fail to fascinate him. His girlfriend, Laura, redecorates their house daily – always with her distinct black and white visual style – and finds a new dream to chase several times throughout the week over which Paterson takes place. These happenings nev-

“When you’re a child, you learn that there are three dimensions Height, width and depth Like a shoebox Then later you hear there’s a fourth dimension Time Hmm” “Lincoln Nikkel” – Ere Santos

er really alter Paterson and Laura’s life in any way; what they do is provide colour and life to their existence. It is these small changes, things that others would see as uninteresting or pointless, that Paterson finds himself inspired. Without doing much of anything, Paterson manages to be one of the most beautiful films of recent times. Possibly ever. The satisfaction that Paterson finds packed away in his lunch box or in the small revelations that come to him as he writes a new poem, reveal him to be among the most purely good characters ever seen on screen. He is simply a man who loves life, celebrating it not through world travels or by chasing experiences, but though contemplation on what he has been blessed with. In this, there is something very wise about the film’s titular character (look no further than Proverbs 16:8 to know that he is living close to the meaning of life). Jim Jarmusch has always been in love with the banal – Night on Earth is a series of vignettes documenting conversations held between cab drivers and their passengers, for instance – but with Paterson, he reaches new poetic heights.


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TIME AND THE IPHONE “WE ARE ALWAYS TECHNICAL BEINGS, TIME IS OUR TECHNOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY SHAPES OUR TIME.”

a whole world to me, a whole new way of being in the world. Only recently have I become aware of I am a child of the smartphone how the iPhone not only strucgeneration. This is not to say that tures the world, but time. I was unfamiliar with prior iterations of the cell phone—I can We have come to expect a new make jokes about indestructible iPhone annually, and Apple has Nokias, reminisce over the T9 delivered, bringing to market keyboard, and recall the envy I a new model (or models) every felt toward my classmates who year since 2007. We go through upgraded to the LG Keybo be- the same cycle: leaks and hype fore I ever got my first phone. So, and speculation, the event itself I was familiar with the cell phone with its polish and livestreams before the smartphone, which and live-tweeting, and finally the is much like saying I was famil- aftermath of think pieces and outiar with social networking before rage and elation. The days that Facebook. It was with Facebook follow inevitably bring a growing and with the smartphone though dissatisfaction with our phones that both domains entered a that are now old, or the tactile new phase of existence, and it pleasure of the new in our hands. was Facebook and the smart- Friends want to see, to touch, to phone that would serve as the play and experiment, or vice vertechnological background for sa – regardless, we are drawn to my transition from high school to this thing as if by a lure. Meanadulthood. I cannot ignore their while, behind the scenes, behind influence. the stage, economic and political and social pathways are diverted I did not receive a cell phone until and reshaped and conditioned grade twelve, and being a tech- by the demands of this device, nology nerd like my father, I knew the demands of its users. A I wanted the iPhone 3GS. It was whole infrastructure supports the the third version of the iPhone, weight of this tiny object, even the latest at the time, and the first lending its name to the first ever time Apple appended the letter upgrade: the iPhone “3G.” The “S” to the model name. When I years pass and the cycle repeats took it out of the box I was – if and the musculature in our bodies you will pardon the hyperbole of becomes attuned to this robotic my memory – awestruck. It was companion, tingling and buzzing everything that the cultural con- even when it lies charging on the sciousness has come to associate other side of the room. Billions with Apple branding: sleek, styl- of silicon singularities, absorbing ish, desirable. Little did I know information, warping life, altering how my new iPhone would open time. ERIC STEIN

And then, a hiccup. The iPhone X. I won’t go into the technical details – what’s new, what’s special, what’s different? I’m only interested in the name: roman numeral ten, not the letter. It’s okay to be confused. What about 9? Didn’t you just unveil the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus just moments ago? What happened to continuity? The X designation is in commemoration of the ten-year anniversary of the iPhone, reminding us that there was a time before the iPhone, that we live in the time of the iPhone, that time is the iPhone. But what about the 9? In two years’ time, after the 8S and 8S Plus, will we have a 9 and a 9 Plus, a 9S and 9S Plus? And what then? The 10 and 10 Plus? Perhaps the X (pronounced ‘ten’) will be reduced to the excision its name signifies, and the cycle will be allowed to continue. Or, perhaps, it will mark the inauguration of a new nomenclature, a rupture, drawing its vitality and significance from the fact that the cycle and its units have never been natural, that time is not natural.

the invisible movement of this splitting, this lag, hiatus, or gap, is what opens the spacing requisite for sight, for experience, and for memory. It is neither loss nor fall, but the space of possibility. In this, the trace is the space of the technical, which is to say, the space of our involved and interwoven being in the world. It designates the porous structure of our frontiers, our always already being there, entangled, infected, compromised. It is the possibility of language and recollection and relation. It is the technology of time. When I say that time is the iPhone, I am not merely exaggerating; I am trying to make clear that we are always technical beings, that time is our technology, and that technology shapes our time.

None of this is to throw up my hands in defeat, to accept the onslaught of new devices, to authorize Apple’s appellative sleightsof-hand. No, this is rather to acknowledge the radical responsibility with which we are presented by this space of possibility, the responsibility to choose our techTime is the iPhone. In 1967, the nologies, to know their systems philosopher Jacques Derrida and channels and structures, and wrote that the process of tempo- so also to know and choose our ralization, what gives us time, is time. We have always been techpossible because of the structure nical, but our technologies have of the trace – the haunting of the never been neutral. The iPhone other in the same. Time is this X highlights this condition of our other, our originary lack of pres- existence more than ever. ence to ourselves, the impossibility of intuitive and immediate self-presence. But time, the trace,

“Zoom transitions. And Vine” – Matt Hayashi


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WATCH: mother! KEVIN REDEKOP Of films released in recent years, mother! is an easy contender for the most shocking and stays with you long after the credits start rolling. In brief, mother! tells the story of a young married couple, (played by Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem) whose newly-renovated home is slowly being invaded by strange guests. The film explores various theological issues, including humanity’s relationship with

UNSCHEDULED SARAH LOOBY From British Columbia’s adventurous beauty to its holy hipsters, an aura of celebrating youth and freedom resides in the West. These stereotypes of BC are promoted through Trinity Western as well, with the university’s culture of hanging hammocks, outdoor attire, and vegan lifestyles. Perhaps it is because I grew up in a small city in southern Ontario, but the abrupt change of culture was noticeable the moment I walked onto campus. This is a home of free spirits. From studies to social life, managing one’s time is a secret equation that very few know. As students, we are given assignments: papers, presentations,

LISTEN:

God, the earth and environment, and the impact Christ has on all three. There are likely a few valid ways to interpret the metaphors in the film, dependent on each viewer’s perspective. I was pleasantly surprised by the risks that writer/ director Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan/The Wrestler) takes in this unfiltered exploration of religion. With that being said, it is far from being a crowd pleaser.

ROSTAM: HALF-LIGHT CHARLOTTE ELSON On September 15th, Rostam Batmanglij released his first solo album under Nonesuch Records with the title Half-Light. It is an extraordinary debut from the Iranian-American former member of Vampire Weekend, featuring a unique blend of Middle Eastern influences like the sitar, mixed with pop sensibilities and full string arrangements. Rostam’s delivery is ethereal and vulnerable; as though he is on the verge of laughter or tears, recalling memories abstract and simple, their meaning hanging in the air like smoke exhaled.

While thought-provoking, there are moments of mother! that are bogged down by bouts of indulgent filmmaking, and the metaphors layered on top of more metaphors can become exhausting. In spite of these issues, Aronofsky’s storytelling ability and the cinematography of his frequent collaborator, Mathew Libatique, perfectly convey a sense of inescapable paranoia. Lawrence and Bardem’s performances are engaging to watch, with Lawrence giving her most emotionally raw performance to date. With all that being said, mother! is a film to be recommended as an interesting meditation on religion, laced with ambitious artistic vision and complex symbolism, all of which is up to the individual viewer to interpret in their own way.

midterms, readings, final exams, and marriage proposals. All of them with due dates. Each piece of the puzzle is to be stored on a calendar, taped to a wall, and memorized until the final exam is written (at least, that is what they tell us first-years). Yes, these tried and true methods can create a healthy balance, but is there a cost? Do they lead to a restricted, tied-down and even (do I say it?) boring life? University students have forever shared the final destination of a diploma or degree. Our generation has augmented this end goal; we still work to get a degree, as long as it does not limit our ability to travel the world, go on mission trips every spring break, and climb mountains in our spare time. As we desire to be unique, diverse, and authentic, we manage to lose sight of the priorities relevant to a university student; or perhaps because our generation represents itself as the creative, the free spirit, the hipster, we excuse our flighty

that moment between night and day, dreams and reality. “Lo and behold, you were here, now you’re gone” he sings in “EOS,” a song born out of a 25-second exposure film photo taken in India while the sun set.

Half-Light’s sense of space may be coming from the limited spaces it invokes: sunrises and sunsets and afternoon lulls, the second before making the first move, the time after someone has left the room,

behavior as normal, twenty-first century ‘adulting.’ Thirty years ago, my father went to university. He studied, worked, biked to school, saved money, and never traveled. With their meager savings, his parents lent him money to attend school, which he paid back once he got a fulltime job. At twenty-three my dad graduated with his CPA, and had a career waiting for him. Two years later, he was married and had his first child. There was no time for trips or youthful frolicking; his life had been routine, planned, calculated, and successful. Perhaps my father’s young adult years could be called boring, uneventful, and even problematic. Between the job, the girl, and school, did he ever find time to discover himself? Here at Trinity Western, self-discovery and self-reflection are idealized. We stand in worship, lift our hands, and desire to honor the ‘star-breathing-God.’ We want to climb

“Instagram” – Sam Sykes

Other album highlights include “Bike Dream,” about the dualities of love. “Gwan,” about simple companionship and “Wood,” about the feeling of another’s cheek touching yours, and the sight of a lover under a sheet. What makes Half-Light stand out is not what it contains, but what is left out. In a music world saturated with walls of sound and attention-grabbing vocals, Rostam allows for space: space to wonder, to feel loss, to appreciate a ray of sunlight and the recognition that you may miss the moment that you are still living in.

mountains, hang glide, zip line, and surf to feel closer to Christ. Yet behind the free spirit, should there be a desire for routine, for calculations, for precision? God calls us to do everything in word or deed for His glory. That includes maintaining a proper school schedule, eating nutritious food and exercising. But did God call us to a routine life? Jesus had no home to lay his head, and for three years of his life, as he spoke, taught, and healed, He was a nomad. In Luke 18, He calls the rich man to let go of all his possessions and come follow Him. God has called us to be nomads, followers, and disciples. This calling is not equivalent to the free spirit, hippy, or hiker; instead we lay down our routines to be servants to Christ, radical followers of Jesus, submitting our lives, our possessions at His feet. It is He who chooses our routine. The true unscripted life is the result of God lifting you up and setting you free.


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STORIES FROM THE NATIONS This issue’s topic is: Routine

HOME-SCHOOLED AND ROUTINE CAYLIE EDLUND As a homeschooler, one gets used to discovering ways to make a routine that suits their surroundings and obligations. One subject to the next, they find structures that fit the criteria for any given year of academia. Homeschool is somewhat unique from university. Being at home and doing classes in an individual setting differs widely from going to classes daily and living with an entire dorm of peers. Yet, the reality of homeschool culture comes down to how it prepares a student for university life. The entire objective is to

learn, not to simply pass. Here at Trinity, professors and mentors are communicating that a liberal arts education has that same goal. If any student does not get the work done on their own, then it does not get graded or examined. In university, a student is responsible for his or her own work. These are basic concepts, but people around campus tend to overestimate, when it comes to acknowledging their limits. Homeschoolers are used to setting up boundaries, scheduling time to work and time to play, honing the art of prioritizing. Yes, the constant social community is new and a bit overwhelming at times. Still, their whole

COLOMBIA

students refuse to leave their home or dorms without showering. For me, I do those things because those have always been the rhythms of my life. I shower daily because the Latina women in my life, who I seek to emulate, always strive to look ‘put together.’ Late lunch in the middle of the day, with a small snack in the evening, accommodates the highly social Latin lifestyle. Many of my dearest memories from Colombia revolve around lunchtime. My Colombian family cannot seem to interact without background music. Similarly, I cannot seem to focus without it. None of these things are groundbreaking or particularly exotic. Even if I did not have my Latin heritage, my routine and preferences might have been exactly the same. These quiet (or sometimes not so quiet) observances, however, are profoundly meaningful to me.

CHRISALEEN CIRO I am Latina. An untrained eye would not know it by looking at me, and I often encounter surprise when I tell people. However, my heritage informs my daily routine in a profound way. Some would not think that eating a large lunch at two o’clock in the afternoon, or insisting on a daily shower, or my incessant need for background music is a ‘cultural observance.’ But, to me, it is. Many Trinity students have single large meals because of the nature of the ‘all you care to eat caf’, or because they want to socialize in the long, unproductive hours of the early afternoon. Many Trinity

RUSSIA NIKI MARA I was raised in Russia. My initial answer to this issue’s topic was, “Russians don’t have any notable routines; nothing we do every day distinguishes us from the rest of the world.” Then it dawned on me: a Russian’s life is routine, from start to finish. There is no freedom of discovery, no mind-blowing self-exploration. Everything we do, we do to escape having too much free time on our hands. That is why we have school six days a week, and Sunday is devoted to cleaning, laundry, and homework. There is no Sabbath, no “Friday night”

life has involved going beyond their comfort zone to connect with others. Kids from a ‘school,’ have other stories entirely. Welcome the homeschoolers and appreciate their perspective. It might just be invaluable.

references. Studying in university, although free, deprives you of any social life you dreamed of having. It is almost as if we fear freedom, a trait quite possibly passed on to us from the generations that experienced the iron fist of the Communist Regime. The strict pointform daily schedule has been ingrained into our very souls; now we think

a new and random environment, and my trained brain collapsed in on itself. I have accepted that having a routine for everything – meals, studying, entertainment – is a necessity granted to

in rations and talk in systems. Being deprived of our routine would drive us crazy. During my first year of university, my daily schedule shapeshifted so drastically I almost slipped into insanity. I had no idea how to manage my time in

“Your mom” – Jacob Kern

me by Mother Russia. And although my new life does not always allow for the satisfaction of my desire for a permanent schedule, I make it work, and I would not have it any other way.


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SPORTS THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY Players themselves spoke out on Twitter about it as well:

JAMISON DERKSEN We’ll be honest with you – we had a roaring article talking about the new Las Vegas Golden Knights ready to go in the place of this article. When we woke up on Monday morning, we thought perhaps it would be insensitive to run that specific article with the mass shooting that happened just hours before. Sport is a channel through which people can bond together and be united in cheering for the same side. During this difficult time, the Las Vegas Golden Knights can be a rallying point for the city. The sports community around the world is standing in solidarity for lives lost in Nevada. The assistant coach of the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus was present at the concert where the shooting happened – he was amongst the injured with a bruised lung. The Golden Knights themselves were quick to tweet their support and condolences towards their city:

PARIS 2024, LOS ANGELES 2028 KATIE MARYSCHUK The International Olympic Committee nominated the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympiad host cities at their 131st session held in Lima, Peru. Boasting stability and change for the future, the International Olympic Committee commenced their 131st session in Lima, Peru on September 13, 2017. While the information and decisions have long passed live status, the topics delivered mark a significant point in the IOC mindset. Christening the term “Agenda 2020”, the IOC boasted the strategic goalsetting, recommendation-creating plan of action as the “strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic movement”. The brand new programme explains that the process of selecting host cities from here on out will focus on “changes to the candidature procedure, with a new philosophy to invite potential candidate cities to present a project that fits their sporting, economic, social and environmental long-term planning needs” (Insidethegames.biz/Olympic. ca). Don’t be caught off guard though. Paris and Los Angeles seem like perfectly

In 2001, after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 crippled not only New York but much of the United States as well, the Major League Baseball season halted for almost a week. Upon the return of league play, the New York Mets played a home game in what was the first distraction that New York City had since the horrific event. The team wore special hats commemorating the heroic acts of the emergency responders on that tragic day. When a New York player hit, what would turn out to be the winning home run, the crowd chanted “USA! USA! USA!” and it was a heartwarming moment to say the least.

awarded cities but few know that in 2005 cities were scrambling over each other to bid for the Games. Fast forward to this past summer and the IOC was unsure they would even have a host for 2028 – nobody put forward a nomination. B u d a p e s t , Hamburg and Rome vied for the 2024 Games, but all withdrew their bids even before competition could start leaving Paris and Los Angeles at a stand-still. A similar situation arose in the bid for the 2022 Winter Games where Stockholm, Oslo, Lviv and Krakow all backed out. After the whiteelephant, economic destruction of Rio in 2016, perhaps this is exactly what the IOC needs to revive the heart of the Olympic Games. If that is something that is even desired. While the flame isn’t entirely burnt out, people and countries are starting to see that the routine of awarding the Games to cities whose names sound most appealing or have a dominant rich upper class is indeed damaging to both the city itself and the Olympic name. The Games are no longer solely about athletic prestige, but are engulfed in politics, showmanship, bribery and of course, money. Legitimate bid cities are often cut off from the competition

On Monday morning, the Golden Knights issued a statement of support for their city: “All Vegas Golden Knights players and Vegas Golden Knights staff are accounted for and safe. However, we know that this is not the case for many other organiz ations in our city. Our hearts are with those affected and we will be doing what we can to support the victims, their families and those grieving.” The team has cancelled their Inaugural Fan Fest that was scheduled to run on October 3. Players will also be lending their time and support throughout the community starting on Tuesday. In addition, the Golden Knight’s Foundation will be giving money towards relief. They also plan to implement extended player contributions throughout the city. Their next game against the Dallas Stars goes unaffected as the game will be held in Texas. The Golden Knights do not play a home game until October 10 against Arizona which will continue as scheduled.

before they can grow and explain their potential. With recognition growing for the corruption the Games can cause, it’s no wonder IOC President Thomas Bach raced to award two cities at once; secure them before they realize what they are committing to. What is there to know about Paris and Los Angeles? Start by knowing that both cities wanted to host the Games in 2024. It was only on July 31st, 2017 that the mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, agreed to move their bid as a compromise. This move allowed Paris to swoop in, giving more room for Los Angeles to grow into appropriate local sport programmes and let the IOC breathe easy knowing that the Games would continue for at least another decade. Los Angeles hosted the Summer Games in 1984 and the last time the Olympics were held on US soil was in Atlanta in 1996. In a similar fashion, France hosted in 1992, but the last time they saw summer competition was in 1924, also in Paris. In alignment with “Agenda 2020” and the IOC’s goals of choosing economically sound cities, Paris plans to use several of their pre-existing venues. So far,

“Catholicism. Also, Protestantism. Also, Orthodoxy.” – Martin Garcia

Los Angeles has already broke ground on the only two large stadiums to be built for the entirety of competition: the Banc of California Stadium in the downtown core (in partnership with LA Football Club) as well as the LA Stadium in Hollywood Park (to also host the Los Angeles Rams and Charges of the NFL). All other structures are either already pre-existing or will be temporary sites. This differs greatly from Games such as Rio where nine new venues were built. Is this the solution to all of the IOC’s problems? Probably not. Does this

provide a chance for them to start fresh and develop a new system of awarding cities? Perhaps. For all we know this could be fanning the flame.


17

ROUTINE RIGIDITY JAMISON DERKSEN If you ask me if I believe in luck, you will get a resounding, “of course not.” But after pondering this for a while, I will admit there are exceptions. As a hockey player, I do have superstitions that need to be fulfilled every time I take the ice. I do not remember where or when I picked them up and I do not know why they stuck, but I perform them because if I fail to, it will drive me crazy. Of course, there are popular superstitions that everyone knows about, such as, never saying the word “shutout” if a team has not scored yet because then it will happen (as the superstition goes). However, many people have rituals or habits that are unique to them. Some of mine include never drinking blue Ga-

torade before or during a game (any other color is acceptable), standing my stick against the wall upside down so the blade does not touch the floor, and finishing warmup by shooting a puck around the boards to my bench. I was curious as to what other superstitions student athletes may have, so I talked to some Trinity Western athletes. First, I asked Joey Schweitzer, Manager of Bombers Hockey, about what he was superstitious about. He told me, “I need to have a full box of ‘White Cheddar’ Kraft Dinner four hours before each game.” He also said he needed to eat it slowly and it could not be too watered down, otherwise he would play poorly. Spartan volleyball players Jessica Bailey and Jacob Kern each have important preparations before games as well. Jessica listens to music and uses a roller to loosen up her muscles, whereas Jacob is particular about putting on his right sock before his left sock and then

MEN’S SOCCER Recent

Canwest Pacific Standings (W-L-T)

2-0 W vs Alberta (Sept. 23) 1-0 W vs Calgary (Sept. 24)

1 UBC (6-2-1)

1-0 L UBC Okanagan (Sept. 30)

2 TWU (5-3-3)

3-3 T vs Thompson Rivers (Oct. 1)

3 UBCO (4-3-1)

Upcoming

4 TRU (4-2-4)

vs UFV (7:15PM, Oct. 6)

5 UNBC (4-5-3)

at UFV (4:00PM, Oct. 8)

6 UFV (3-4-2)

vs UBC (7:15PM, Oct. 20)

7 UVIC (3-5-1)

the right shoe before the left. Spartan soccer player Aidan Moore told me his expansive list of requirements for each game which includes putting on his gear right side before left, as well as listening to “Morning Glory” by Oasis two hours before kickoff, not eating meat on game days, downing a double shot of espresso before each game, and tapping each cleat eleven times before stepping onto the pitch. Spartan hockey player Kaleb Denham and Spartan track and cross-country athlete Daniel Wilkinson seem less concerned about pregame habits. Kaleb did mention he always eats the same pregame meal and Daniel stated that he does not acknowledge superstitions but he does like to pray before events. There may be no rhyme or reason to why athletes follow quirky rituals, but it is amusing to learn about the little things that individuals insert into their

G AME S TAT S The Bombers now have a record of 2-1-0, having lost to the Jets 7-2 and beating the Bearcats 6-4 in the past two weeks. Trinity is currently ranked #2 in the country for U Sports Men’s Cross-Country, and #4 in the country for Women’s Cross-Country. Be sure to check each issue to keep up with our awesome Spartan teams. We’ll cover the latest on statistics, CanWest and U Sports standings as well as upcoming games.

vs Victoria (7:15PM, Oct 21)

WOMEN’S SOCCER

MEN’S BASKETBALL Recent 105-103 L vs Seattle Mountaineers (Sept. 30) Upcoming at UBC Okanagan (7:00PM, Oct. 7) vs Thompson Rivers (7:00PM, Oct. 14)

The Spartans began their preseason this past weekend, and have four more preseason games before the regular season starts on October 27 in Alberta.

Recent

Canwest Pacific Standings

2-0 W vs Alberta (Sept. 23)

1 UVIC (7-1-1)

1-0 W vs MacEwan (Sept. 24)

2 UBC (7-1-0)

4-0 W vs UBC Okanagan (Sept. 29)

3 TWU (6-2-0)

5-0 W vs Thompson Rivers (Sept. 30)

4 UFV (4-2-2)

Upcoming MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Recent 3-0 W vs Thompson Rivers (Sept. 22) 3-0 W vs Thompson Rivers (Sept. 23) 3-1 W vs Laval (Sept. 29) 3-2 W vs Laval (Sept. 30)

The Spartans have a very busy preseason schedule, with 7 more games before the regular season kicks off on October 20 at Saskatchewan.

Upcoming

Blue Team Cup (Oct. 12 at UBC, Oct 13 vs UBCO [6:00PM], Oct. 14 vs Mt. Royal [6:00PM]) MEN’S HOCKEY 3-1 L vs UBC (Sept. 30) Upcoming at Victoria (7:30PM, Oct. 6)

The Spartans lost in the “Captains Cup” final to UBC to wrap up the preseason. This next weekend kicks off their BCIHL regular season.

5 MacEwan (4-4-0)

vs UFV (5:00PM, Oct. 6)

6 UNBC (2-5-0)

at UFV (2:00PM, Oct. 8)

7 TRU (1-7-0)

vs Regina (5:00PM, Oct. 13)

8 UBCO (0-6-2)

vs Saskatchewan (5:00PM, Oct. 14) WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Recent 80-64 W at Tianjin University (Sept. 23)

Gryphon Men’s Volleyball Invitational at U of Guelph (Oct. 6-8)

Recent

routines. Some people are really particular, whereas others may have less important habits. An outsider may think these superstitions are silly and that they have no outcome on the game, and that is fine to think because superstitions are typically an individual thing… except jumping the gun in calling a shutout. Please, never do that.

52-50 L at Tianjin Uni. Of Fin. and Econ. (Sept 24) Upcoming

The Spartans wrapped up their “Japan/China Goodwill Tour” and will now have five more games on North American soil before the regular season starts on October 27 in Alberta.

vs UBC Okanagan (7:00PM, Oct. 6) vs UBC Okanagan (2:00PM, Oct. 7) BOMBERS HOCKEY Recent

at Van. Island (7:45PM, Oct. 7)

7-2 L vs Jets

vs Van. Island (7:00PM, Oct 13)

6-4 W vs Bearcats “Pokemon Go” – Holly Gust

Record: 2-1-0


18

HUMOUR SECOND-YEAR IN LOVE WITH NEW CAF SET-UP Mary is one of the many students of Trinity who is glad to see the major revamping of the now buffet-style cafeteria. While in the past years students paid per food item, nowadays they pay per entry. “Having the chance to donate so much money to Sodexo at times when I’m not very hungry and just want a sandwich is so great. It makes me feel like a more generous person,” Mary reports.

asked Mary about her opinion on this, and she replied, stating: “I really love the Christian character of the name; it sounds so much less sinfully gluttonous than the ‘All You Can Eat’ cafeterias at heathen schools.” Not only is the cafeteria encouraging in its new terminology, it also aids students in staying healthy. “Yes, there is an ice cream machine, but it’s nothing to worry about—it’s more ice than it is cream! Honestly, it’s so considerate.” Overall, it seems this new cafeteria style really has proven to be encouraging Christ-like behavior and healthy habits.

10 THINGS YOU’VE HEARD TOO MANY TIMES THIS MONTH

1. University has no parking! Boohoo! 2. Ohmigosh… I hate the new Taylor, but wow, I love the new Taylor. 3. OMG. @overheardtwu is the pinnacle of modern humour. 4. Why did Upperclassmen win Dorm Skits? They’re not even a dorm. 5. Kony 2012 6. Wow, Andrew Richmond is SICK. 7. That new movie about the clown seems so scary haha XD

Besides this, the lightest meal Bon Appetit! plan only costs $600 more than last year—a price that everyone is fine with paying. “I have a $7,000 student loan taken out anyways, so what difference does a few extra hundred make?” she comments. The new price and form of the Trinity cafeteria has also been christened with the name ‘All You Care to Eat.’ We

DEAR FIFTH YEAR

ANDREW RICHMOND

8. Wow Qwanoes was such a transformative experience and I just feel on fire for God and so blessed so much wow. 9. Awe, I love this photo of us. But I can’t post it because it will ruin my Instagram aesthetic. 10. ONLY 100 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!! [heart eyes] [heart eyes]

Hi unspecified roommate dorms,

Insightful observation! It’s honestly a shame that those conversations grow old. I was first introduced to true friendship and love whilst annihilating the reputation Dear Fifth Year, of totally-acceptable Sodexo pizMy roommate and I have come to no- za. tice a few habits that Trinity students have. The most noticeable habits in When I’m at a loss for words, one everyday conversations are 1) Boys. trick I utilize is to ask, “What’s And 2) The disapproval of the cafe- your major?” repeatedly—most teria food. We have concluded that people don’t notice. If you want in a school with a 3 to 1 ratio, it is to go a little deeper, you might hopeless to discuss boys, since the want to consider chatting with majority of us will finish school single your friends about the inevitabilanyways. Secondly, Sodexo is actual- ity of death. Anxiety about eterly pretty good – they’ve stepped up nity is very powerful for dorm their game! So, we need your help. bonding! Do you have any ideas for other topThe ultimate conversation starter, ics of conversation? however, facilitates community and empathy to a nearly invasive Sincerely, degree. It is: “How’s your heart?” This phrase can be utilized as Roommates of an trite and conversational, but be unspecified dorm warned—it may initiate the ULTIMATE Christian conversation. One time my friend casually asked me this question while we were walking to class, and I nearly fell over.

#YourAdventureEndsNow

Or, new idea: have you tried talking about girls, or the approval of cafeteria food? Sincerely, Abe, a fifth year “Fidget Spinners.” - Bailey Broadbent

The beloved season of midterms has returned! Cut this #inspirational quote out & hang it on your fridge to remind you not to #ExploreBC.


19

wHy LLC? REASON #1

The chance to be an adult for a semester while still being a student.

APPLY BY OCTOBER 15 #WHYLLC @TWU_LLC | TWU.CA/LLC “TWU’s underground newspapers” – Sabine Henderson

|

LLCINFO@TWU.CA


ALEX’S ANNEX CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE CHAPTER 2 As your eyes start to adjust to the sudden darkness, you decide to try to find whatever’s glinting in the grass to your right. You bend down and brush your fingers through the grass, searching hurriedly for whatever it was. You chance a look over your shoulder and see that the moving light that was to your left has stopped, and now hovers in one place, slowly bouncing up and down. You have the uneasy feeling that someone is watching you. You turn your attention back to the grass, hoping that whatever was glinting is a flashlight…or a weapon. Your grasping fingers finally find metal. You close your hand around the item and bring it close to your face so you can see it. It’s a simple metal key.

Realizing that you’ll need to pass by the floating light, you steel yourself and prepare to run at it. Starting with a light jog, you move faster and faster. Breaking into a full sprint, you prepare yourself for a collision, a fight, anything…but, just when you should have collided with the light, it winks out of existence. Confused, you slow down and turn to look behind you. Nothing but pitch darkness. But then, the light reappears, glowing with a deeper red glow this time. Just as quickly, a second light appears beside the first. They’re eyes. Glowing, red eyes.

You’re frustrated. A key doesn’t help you at all. You stand and survey your immediate surroundings. The

You turn and book it toward the escape route. You don’t dare turn to look, but you know the eyes and the crea-

Monique

year: Deux

Bouchard

age: Legal?? Hmmm...

THE "Mony" SHEVANGELIST

light is still floating in one place, about a hundred feet away. But behind it, you see something new. A lighter piece of darkness. An escape route.

height: 5’9’’

ture attached to them must be following you. As you near the patch of light, you see flat, grey walls stretching off to your left and right. You’re in a massive cave. The walls are made of concrete. It’s man-made. The escape route – a hallway – is the only blemish in its smooth surface. You run down the hallway. Another fifty feet down there is a wooden door - with a keyhole. You hurriedly try to fit the key in the lock. It doesn’t fit. The key doesn’t fit and the beast is coming. Do you: 1. Examine the door 2. Examine the walls around the door 3. Turn to face the beast head-on. Cast Your Vote by Oct. 11 at marshill.ca See what happens next ... in Issue 3, out Oct. 18/17!

Major: Blazers, blazers, and more blazers*

*female equivalent to a mens’ suit jacket. I wrote this because some people are dumb and might not know what a blazer is. I can model one for you if you’d like.

Age limit (max/min)? I’m not sure what this question means, so if it refers Good to theage maxtodiff erence in age betweenWhat me and potential datee, then probably 8 is your signature dish? get married? Hometown: Langley, BC How would you win their parents over? years. Google “dish meaning” and read #2. The anThe 20’s. #GatsbyParties I can recite the whole Gettysburg Address Idea of a perfect date? Just feed me. My heart is my stomach

Best place for a first kiss? On the lips Best pick-up line? Is it hot in here or is that the Holy Spirit burning inside of you? (S/O to whoever wrote that on the sticky note I found in my backpack.)

as if I were Abraham Lincoln in the flesh.

Your favourite band? How do you plan to take family pictures? A wedding band. On my finger. With a photographer. And my family. All What is your favourite flower? matching. #blundstones Red roses. Go big or go home. (Rm. #109, Fraser Hall) Idea of a perfect date? I prefer figs

What skill will you pass on to your future children? Pranking not spanking.

Your favourite band? A wedding band. On my finger.

Favourite preacher? Rhys Fowler

“Tricia Jeranie left the conversation” – Tricia Jeranie

swer to this question is obviously me.

Favourite Bible Verse? 1 Cor 7:9 “For if [singles] cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” No wonder the fire alarm’s always going off in Fraser. How would you make up after your first fight? Make up or make out? How many kids do you want? As many as I have eggs


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