Mars Hill Newspaper Vol 20 Issue 10

2

March 16, 2016

THE

TEAM

TREVOR MCMAHAN managing editor

LUCAS KOEHN visual editor

I woke up like this

I

DAVID PUNNAMMANNIL photo editor

LARISSA TENORIO web editor

MATT RUBULIAK

advertising & finance manager

DARBY ARENS layout editor

HEIDI RENNERT chief copy editor

SIDSEL RICHMOND illustration editor

mackenzie

cameron

There are a lot of conversations currently swirling the toilet bowl of the Internet regarding beauty.

The conversation surrounding beauty is as seemingly old as time itself. Today we are consumed with the beauty of the body, centuries ago it was the beauty of art, before that the beauty of innovation, and before that, perhaps it was men and women outdoors, necks craned against gravity as they stared in awe at the starry expanse of desert sky.

While I wish I had something to offer about art, innovation, or the sky, I will stick to what I believe I know best – people. One of the best inquiries concerning human beauty I have come across is from Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross: “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These people have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not

MARS’ HILL

MISSION TO MARS

EDITORIAL POLICY

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.

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Loranne Brown

SPECIAL THANKS

Kat Grabowski for the team photos

just happen.”

I believe it is God’s hope for us that we would become the beautiful people that Kubler-Ross speaks of through the scathing flames of lived experience. One of my favourite verses, Hebrews 12:29, describes God as a “consuming fire,” and I think it is through this fire that we unfurl and unfold into versions of ourselves reflective of “compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern.”

While I have been blessed to have been raised by parents who called me intelligent, beautiful, and funny from a young age, there stands a moment in time, aside from them, that I was called “beautiful” at an unlikely moment by an unlikely woman and it has stayed with me ever since. It was four years ago and I was in an airplane on my way home from a service trip in Cambodia. I couldn’t sleep, despite the heinous hour, and I found myself thinking over the trip. I could feel the hands of the children, see the gap-toothed smiles, and hear their singing voices. Equally so, I could see the families afflicted with AIDS, hear the beggars’ cries, and feel the bony bodies of the babies I held.

This being my first trip out of the continent, and a service trip at that, I was exhausted – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Easing down the aisle with a

drink cart came the stewardess. As the woman handed me the cup of water, she took a moment to stare at me. In her lowered voice, so as to not wake the other passengers, she said, “you are beautiful.” I didn’t quite know what to say and so I accepted my drink somewhat awkwardly and bashfully turned my face away.

To be perfectly clear, this had nothing to do with my appearance.

I was wearing dirty linen pants, a smelly hoodie, yesterday’s makeup and my hair was all kinds of greasy.

I was not an aesthetically pleasing individual at that moment. Her comment hit me somewhere below the surface and I wondered what it was that she saw.

Looking back on it now, I can only guess that my experience in Cambodia, trying as it was, contributed to my person in ways unknown to me at the time. I was refined by the fire and made beautiful through the melee of human experience. I am grateful for that memory, as it serves to affirm the person I am becoming as a result of others that I meet, and not as a result of my changing outward aesthetic. There is beauty to be found in every human and in every circumstance. All it requires is an understanding and appreciation for struggle.

CONTRIBUTORS Bronwyn McVey Jessica VanRooyen Kirsten McAllister Aline Bouwman Matthew Stinson Nicole Mara Veronica Hargrave Eric Geddes Sam Rosenau Natalie Hilder Jacqueline Young Shelby Dumoulin Kate Nundal Suzanne Trimm Rachael Gingell Amy Casali Amy Dauer Lindsey Mayhew Sheldon Kozushko Sarah Schuss Nicolas Noble Braden Rosenfeld Katie Devaney Bailey Broadbent

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Can you define fair?” – Josh Boersma

7600 Glover Rd, Langley, BC, V2Y 1Y1 604-513-2109 marshill@gmail.com www.marshillonline.com This issue brought to you by Racka, Fixa, Bjursta, Kallax, Alex, Billie, and Patti White.

Cover and feature photo by 55Laney69 on Flickr

March 16, 2016

3

MADELINE Gallard

THE RIGHT TO (SAFE, HEALTHY) LIFE

I

lindsey

mayhew

Recently, especially among Republicans and/or Christians, Planned Parenthood has received a bad rap. The organization allegedly sold the body parts of aborted fetuses for profit, as uncovered by a number of “sting” videos. Of course, even though seven states have investigated the matter and found zero evidence of illegal activity, and even though the videos have been proven false and the creators are now facing criminal charges, many states are still voting to defund the organization, including, just recently, Ohio.

There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that Planned Parenthood provides abortions. Radical Christians are up in arms over the organization’s services, and the ensuing hysteria is very relevant to the upcoming presidential election. A vote for or against Planned Parenthood, and subsequently abortion, could mean either a vote for a nominee or a vote lost.

Laying the issue of abortion

to rest for just one moment, let us consider some other services that Planned Parenthood is able to provide. Their website’s mission states that they “believe in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual’s income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence.”

Planned Parenthood provides healthcare for both women and men—including abortions, but also Pap tests, breast exams, STD tests, and educational and outreach programs on sexual health and safety for young Americans.

There is a certain brand of Christian who seems to think that being armed with sexual knowledge somehow leads to sexual sin.

Never mind the fact that states with abstinence-only sex ed have the highest rates of teen pregnancy (which is an issue not just with attitudes towards organizations like PP but also with attitudes towards public school sex ed) and that access to proper contraception helps prevent unwanted pregnancies; to some, any whiff of abortion is enough to send them to clinics in droves, armed with picket signs and hateful words.

However, let me be frank: though

PP provides abortions, it is a crucial organization for Americans who otherwise could not afford proper sexual healthcare. It is as simple as that.

Of patients who receive treatment from PP, 79% are at or below the national poverty level in America. A vote against Planned Parenthood is a vote against the sexual health of men and women in poverty, many of whom are often young people and often people of colour as well. What the fake “sting” videos don’t show are the thousands of women getting screened for breast cancer, college students protecting their partners from easily-transmittable STDs, and accessible contraception for people who simply want to have safe sex, as is their right, regardless of income.

Back to abortion: the New York Times recently published an article highlighting statistical data that is quite disturbing to anyone with any ounce of compassion. In states where access to abortion (and by extension, properly-funded Planned Parenthood clinics) faces at least six governmental restrictions, Google searches for “home abortion methods” have jumped 40% since 2011 (when many states cracked down on abortion laws).

Defunding PP serves as a pat on the back for overbearingly religious lawmakers and as a way for anti-choice voters to feel as if they have preserved the sanctity of life, when really all they have done is degrade it. Defunding clinics causes more unwanted pregnancies and more back-alley abortions, which are harmful to women, harmful to children, and harmful to communities.

Put simply: abortion laws do not help women or babies. Defunding Planned Parenthood does not help women or babies. In fact, it harms them. It can even kill them.

What helps women and babies, especially those who are unable to afford decent medical care, is having access to safe abortions, proper sexual education, and free or low-cost methods of contraception, usually from PP. Here in Canada, we are very lucky to have access to proper healthcare, including sexual healthcare and access to abortions. As more and more states restrict abortion in the name of religion and in the name of gaining votes, all I ask is that we as a society take a long hard look at our laws and how they truly affect the people involved.

TWUSA 2016/2017 JENNA KASTELEIN TOBIN VOTH BRANDON BUSTARD

ANDREW RICHMOND JAMISON DERKSEN TRICIA JERANIE

JENNA DOHMS

JULIE MERCHEL

CHEYANNE MAKELKI

ANGELA PARBERRY

RUBEN JIMENEZ

CALEB SPYKSMA

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “That Hansel is so hot right now” – Rachel Gingell

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March 16, 2016

Refugees welcome

I

sheldon

koshushko

What started out as a civil war and instability in Iraq has led to one of the biggest refugee crises of this century. Millions have been displaced from their homes in Iraq and Syria, and thousands have died at the hands of ISIS. Meanwhile, the world stands back, aghast at the brutality that currently plagues a land that has been wrought with conflict for generations.

It may not be easy to watch this violence unfold before our eyes on

our screens, but in the comfort of our privileged Western lives, it is easy to slip into complacency.

Part of the problem is simply not knowing how to help. I remember watching a video of a Syrian woman pleading for help from anyone whether they were Muslim, Christian, or Jew. I sat there in tears, desperately wanting to do something—anything!

Thankfully there are ways to help, and I am blessed to be a part of an effort that is working to change the lives of a mother and daughter from Syria. Due to security reasons, I cannot release the specifics of their situation, but they are currently at high risk due to factors beyond war itself. The Government of Canada initiated a program called the

Private Sponsorship of Refugees program. This program allows churches to sponsor refugees to come live in Canada. The beauty of this program is that it enables a positive and personal transition from the home country to Canada. While allowing large numbers of refugees into a country at one time can be necessary and crucial, one can imagine how this process could be isolating and disorienting due to the sheer numbers of people.

Some members of Crossway Church in Surrey have decided to step forward in sponsoring a family. In our endeavour, we know the actual mother and daughter who we will be sponsoring and their story. Once they come to Canada, some of the money we are

raising will be used to help them get on their feet for the first year or until the mother can find work.

They will have a personal support system and people who have been awaiting them specifically and preparing for their arrival.

This endeavour is not possible on our own. We need you to make this work of changing the lives of these two people possible.

There is an old saying: “Many hands makes for light work.” I firmly hold to the idea that what seems like a huge endeavour can be accomplished when people come together in numbers and make changes through incremental contributions. Our goal is to raise $10,000. Currently we have an online donation site through chimp.com. If you search

Refugees Welcome Benefit Concert you will find our site.

Assuming that Trinity Western has about 4000 students including grad students, everyone contributing just $1 would bring in $4000. Assuming that most people have two family relations, a dollar donation from each would result in another $8000! This would exceed our goal! And for just a dollar. Our online campaign will conclude at the end of March, so don’t wait!

I leave you with this: next time you say that you have no money (and I get it, I got no money also) but go on to buy a latte at Starbucks, know that you could have made a lifechanging difference.

Life to the full I

sarah

schuss

About a year ago, the Supreme Court of Canada declared that Sections 241 and 14 of the Criminal Code of Canada were unconstitutional and that they violated the individual’s right to “life, liberty, and security of person.” These particular sections of the Criminal Code respectively state that anyone who counsels, aids, or abets anyone to commit suicide is guilty

of a punishable offence, and that no one is entitled to consent to have death inflicted upon them.

Thus, the prohibition on physician-assisted suicide was deemed ineffective in the case that a competent adult can clearly consent to the ending of their life due to the suffering associated with a grave medical condition (Carter v Canada). This declaration was suspended for twelve months in order to allow time to draft a new law; one month ago, a fourmonth extension was granted.

On June 6, 2016, physicianassisted suicide (PAS) will be legal in Canada to anyone whose circumstances match the stated requirements. This law marks a colossal shift in Canadian thinking and core values.

Many people I have spoken with seem unsure of where to stand on this issue. Of course, there is a natural t e n d e n c y

to avoid suffering and to desire to release our loved ones from prolonged pain in any way we can.

Thus, when a person looks at PAS, it seems like an effective means of reducing prolonged suffering and part of a personal choice that should be respected. After all, what do I, a healthy twentyyear-old woman, know about physical suffering? I have neither been diagnosed with a terminal illness nor have experienced any pain worse than that of a torn ligament. How can I tell someone that they do not have the right to choose when and how they will die, especially when I have not experienced that pain for myself ?

What I can attest to is the effect of every life and death on the rest of humanity, as well as the inherent value of every life regardless of suffering or disease.

The Supreme Court decision does not only affect those people diagnosed with a terminal illness, but every single person who has ever known someone who has suffered and anyone who has ever considered ending

their life. This decision will affect how we live the remainder of our lives, how we approach palliative care, how we regard the lives of those who are disabled, and how we define a life as being worth living.

There are those who will say that suffering is not dignified. In fact, in Oregon, 80.9% of persons who underwent physician-assisted deaths cited loss of dignity as an end of life concern. However, what is it about life that defines whether it is or is not dignified?

Is it our ability to control our bodies and our minds? Is our dignity dependent on how we view ourselves or how others see us? Is dignity achieved when we attain the societal ideal of a life well-lived? Perhaps what makes a life worth-living is the very fact that it is a great gift which has been given to us for such a very short time. What makes a life dignified is

the reality that each has been created by a loving God for a unique purpose. Suffering and death should not frighten us because we serve a God who chose to undergo such hardships in order to save our souls and give us life to the full—a life lived for Him. The TWU Students for Life Club will be hosting a debate on Physician-Assisted Suicide in Canada on March 17th, 7pm – 8pm, in the Northwest Auditorium.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “six types of what I never thought.” – Joel Friesen

March 16, 2016

5

Contract law and Ke$ha

I

madeline

gallard

It would be pretty difficult for anyone in North America to be unaware of the ongoing legal battle between pop singer Kesha (Kesha Rose Sebert) and her former producer, Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald), whom the singer alleges abused her sexually, physically, and mentally. The media has peppered us with images of a distraught Sebert breaking down in tears in the courtroom; these images were captured after she learned that a New York Supreme Court Justice will not grant her an injunction that would free her from her contract with Sony Records and, consequently, from having to produce more albums alongside Dr. Luke. (Sony alleges that it offered Sebert the opportunity to work with another of its producers, but Sebert’s legal team explains that this effectively means any albums made would not be promoted, and there-

fore make Sebert no profit.) The images are heart-breaking, provoking many musicians and other celebrities around the world to speak out in support of Sebert and bring public attention to the hashtag #FreeKesha.

On an emotional level, the case seems cut and dried. Why should anyone be forced to work exclusively alongside a person they allege hurt and abused them? Yet, upon further inspection, the case seems to present two contradictory imperatives.

As Jordan Schroeder, TWU alumnus and current Allard School of Law student, explains: “Countries with stable, secure contract law are safe places to invest in and create content because business parties, like

[spaces] tenth anniversary launch party

[ s p a c e s ]

Kesha and Dr. Luke, know that when they make an agreement to work with someone, this agreement will be honoured. If it is not honoured, parties are entitled to

damages for breach of contract (except in certain circumstances prescribed by law).” If Sebert was

I

nicolas

noble

During the evening of March 12, [spaces] Literary Journal hosted its tenth anniversary Launch Party in the Atrium. The event was well attended and featured live readings by students including Graham Boldt and Heidi Rennert, music by Nick Renowitzky, Alice Best, and Nate Cyrefaer, a comedy act by Connor Thiessen, and slampoetry by Esther Owobowale.

Copies of [spaces] volume ten, featuring poetry, short stories, plays, artwork and photography by students and alumni, also went on sale for the first time at the door.

Not only did this event celebrate the achievement of [spaces] and its contributors this year, the Launch Party also celebrated [spaces]’s history over the last ten years. The Launch Party included readings by current contributors as well as readings by alumni who published in [spaces] years ago, such as Cail Judy, who published his first piece in the second volume of [spaces] and has gone on to become a prominent Vancouverite poet.

The first volume of [spaces] appeared in 2007/2008 as the successor to TWU’s previous literary outlet “Libra,” which resembled a chapbook and of which only a few copies remain in the TWU Archives. “Libra” was a sketch of what we all hoped would eventually become the university’s literary journal, however

simply looking never to work with Dr. Luke again, and if she was not tied to him by contract, she could probably make sure that happened; however, since she is tied to him by contract, Sony—and Dr. Luke, by extension—have a right to protect their business by enforcing it.

Such was the case in Sebert’s failed injunction attempt: Justice Shirley Kornreich noted that such an injunction was “asking the court to decimate a contract that was heavily negotiated and typical for the industry.”

In this sense, the emotional is forced to compete with the heavily rational—and the ensuing clash has become

immensely public.

As Schroeder notes, “The system is certainly not perfect.” It certainly seems an ugly situation to be in when the law dictates the continuation of a business relationship that seems to come at the cost of the health and safety of one of its parties.

On the other hand, however, Schroeder says, “the imperfect system does create a stable environment that is beneficial for us and it needs to be enforced in a regular manner to maintain that standard.” As this case continues to unfold, therefore (and it unfolds interestingly, as some sources have started to report that Dr. Luke may be fired

by Sony as a result of this case), it is necessary to look at it with a balanced view. On some level, we can condemn the actions of anyone who is abusive, particularly in a power relationship; on another, we are reminded that the rule of law, as it stands, enforces a strong standard for how business—and indeed, the world itself—is run.

audacious that seemed at the time. With some donations and support from the Department of English, a new iteration of the dream took form in the earliest editions of [spaces]. The new name birthed the nexus of creative energy that has continued to appear annually each spring in the life of [spaces], now a well-known and highly-regarded journal on and off campus.

Volume ten of [spaces] is different from its predecessors in many ways. In order to commemorate [spaces]’s achievements over the last decade, we have republished a selection of poems, short stories, and essays from the previous volumes. This anthology, we feel, represents the highest quality and widest variety of themes and genres of all the pieces that [spaces] has published. As part of our celebration, we commissioned student-artists to create illustrations to accompany several of the republished pieces, bringing to them new visual perspectives.

Furthermore, we invited previous contributors to submit new pieces in addition to their republished pieces, as a testament to [spaces]’s continuing legacy. The second half of [spaces] volume ten contains new pieces by students and alumni. This year, [spaces] received over 150 submissions.

Like the republished pieces, they were subjected to a rigorous vetting process in which students from all academic disciplines were invited to anonymously rate and score each piece. The submissions then underwent several more intense rounds of blind vetting to narrow down the final selection of new pieces that you encounter here in the journal. The [spaces]

team then spent weeks workshopping and revising the pieces alongside their authors. The entire process was overseen by Canadian poet and nonfiction writer, Connie Braun, who is also a member of the [spaces] Advisory Board. [spaces] is honored to publish original guest contributions by two icons of Canadian literature: Tim Lilburn and Rudy Wiebe. [spaces] is currently seeking applicants to serve on the editorial team of the eleventh volume. [spaces] is an excellent opportunity to acquire creative-writing, publishing, and business skills that will prepare you for life after university. Many [spaces] alumni have gone on to pursue prolific careers in creative and technical writing, publishing, business, and management.

Although [spaces] is housed in the Department of English, we welcome applicants from all majors. In the past, the [spaces] team has included students majoring in History, Philosophy, SAMC, Communications, Linguistics, and Biology, in addition to English. We currently are looking for students to serve in the roles of Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Events Coordinator, Arts & Design Editor, Media Manager, Associate Editor, and more.

In order to apply, please send a cover letter and your updated curriculum vitae to spacesliteraryjournal@gmail.com no later than March 25. If you have any questions, please send them to us at the same email address.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “The judicial system” – Tarun Reddy.

Copies of [spaces] volume ten are available in the Bookstore.

6

March 16, 2016

CAM THIESSEN

What do you want?

I

kirsten

mcallister

“What do you seek?” are the first words that Jesus spoke to the two men that caught up with him on the road to Galilee. They asked where Jesus was staying, and he invited them to come and see for themselves.

What we are looking for may be the most ubiquitous question of our everyday lives. And what we end up finding is always indicated by what we want, from moment to moment. Although we may not directly consider the nature of our desires, the question

confronts us from our morning Starbucks drink to our stop at the supermarket on the way home.

Advertising agencies would kill to know what we want, and millennials bask in a sea of choices where their every whim can be attended to if they can afford it. As someone who can spend five minutes before deciding all they want is a plain coffee, wading through this sea can be overwhelming even when the options seem frivolous.

Eventually, whether you choose soy, almond, 2%, skim, or whole becomes too much effort to make a choice at all.

My university experience has been something like this. Fresh out of YWAM and sure-footed in my faith, I entered into a very secular school in Vancouver that

opened life up to myriad wonders and possibilities. It turns out that life is about so many things, and everyone has got a point. While trying to reconcile the ever-increasing rift that I found growing between my religion and my learning, often school has felt like a constant swim upstream in a river of art and philosophy. As a result of being exposed to thinkers who are way more intelligent than I and yet can’t agree on the most fundamental truths, the first half of my degree has made me cautious to subscribe to many of the categories I used to adopt with ease.

The options that university lays forth for different ways of thinking can be overwhelming to sift through and decide

what to take and what to leave. I think for Christians this can be a particularly disheartening experience. It feels a lot like losing your innocence when you find your previously rooted worldview is suddenly very fragile and afloat in a world where tethering it to anything could be dangerous. To tie yourself to one truth always means to exclude others. Uncertainty becomes an ally for those who are hesitant to leave anything out. And as that annoying person who takes an hour in front of you at Starbucks to consider all of the taste, health, and cost variables, cutting out options is a terrifying task. As a result of “leaving my options open,” over the first half of my degree I have seen my life grow comfortable with ambiguity,

and I have made fewer choices.

But uncertainty is a choice too. Russell Reno says that there are two ways to miss a train: by getting on the wrong one or by not getting on any train at all. If we become so afraid that we will choose the wrong thing that we don’t choose anything at all, we end up stuck in the train station where we started.

Education cannot be for the sake of education, and thinking cannot be for the sake of thinking. We should want more. It takes more than knowledge to make us rise and move in any direction, and mystery will always be a part of anywhere we decide to go. Once education has made us think, it should always make us move.

I believe in the loch ness monster*

But you don’t have to

I

aline

bouwman

I believe in the Loch Ness Monster, even though I have never seen it. The most common theory among believers is that the monster is a long-surviving plesiosaur. However, much of the scientific community regards the Loch Ness Monster as an example of cryptozoology par excellence, a modern-day myth in the category of Bigfoot, the Yeti, Chupacabra, and the Kraken.

The numerous sightings of the monster over the past century are seen as misidentifications of more mundane objects such as seals or logs, blatant hoaxes, or common wishful thinking.

I remain unconvinced.

When you hear that someone has had a clear sighting, it is awully difficult to dismiss that testimony as a fable or figment of someone’s imagination. When you hear a hundred, it becomes impossible.

The earliest known sighting of the Loch Ness Monster comes from the seventh century book The Life of St. Columba, which records that Saint Columba, during one of his missionary travels to the Scottish highlands, was attacked by a “water beast” in the Loch Ness vicinity in 565 A.D. A long gap with no reports lies in between the sixth century and 1933, when George Spicer and his wife reported seeing the monster in the form it is currently thought to have: a large trunk around the size of an elephant’s, a long, thin neck and small head, and four flippers. Many reports followed this story, and the monster became affectionately known as “Nessie,” named after the loch where the sightings occurred.

The monster gained international fame quickly, and with that, much skepticism was generated. Seeing Nessie was written off as the result of a few too many drinks. If you’re going to see something big and mysterious swimming around Loch Ness, it is at 6 AM after a night in the pub—that’s the only thing that stands to reason. There were many hoaxes. Fake tracks were made in the shore sand using a dried hippo’s foot, of the kind popularly used in kitschy umbrella stands. Photos were snapped of a toy marine outfitted with a sea-serpent head, floating hay bails, and fiberglass bundles, all fashioned as conclusive evidence that were later proven to be fakes. Believing that Nessie exists is usually seen as naivety at best, and lunacy at worst.

So why am I inclined to believe that the Loch Ness Monster exists, even though I have never seen it and science is against me? Here are just some of the reasons: there exist ancient documents that speak to the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. There is a long tradition of eyewitness accounts concerning Nessie’s existence. There is a healthy community of believers around the world.

A lot of people travel to Loch Ness each year for an experience of Nessie. A lot of people just grew up believing in Nessie, and they find a lot of comfort in the idea that there is something out there. Others went through a skeptical phase, but got a glimpse of Nessie and started to believe again. Others did not encounter Nessie until they came to Loch Ness. For me, all of this is ample

evidence that belief in Nessie should not be easily dismissed.

Why not believe in something more? There is beauty in that.

I do want to stress, though, that even though I believe in Nessie, you don’t have to. Not believing in Nessie doesn’t make you a bad person, just like believing in Nessie doesn’t make me a good person. It doesn’t seem like we will ever be able to prove if Nessie exists, but whether she is out there or not does not have a huge impact on our dayto-day lives. I like to go to Loch Ness every once in a while, and you probably don’t ever plan to go. But we can both aspire to be good persons, love those around us, help those in need, and find fulfillment in life. I believe in the Loch Ness monster, but you don’t have to. (*) God

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Michael Bogress in the winter, he gets pretty pale” – Mel Poggemoeller

March 16, 2016

Why

l

bad I

matthew

stinson

Yes, I watch porn. According to Christian culture, that makes me disgusting, despicable, and depraved. That’s why I have hid it for years. Last semester Mars’ Hill published an article entitled “Why Porn Is Bad”, and even though the author had good intentions in writing it, I realized that it embodied the way Christians (in general) have seen and dealt with porn. I hope to present a new perspective on pornography and the people who watch it. It is not a person’s disgusting nature that draws them to porn, and neither is it a simple matter of just getting them off the “drug.”

While there are numerous contributing factors to addiction, I suggest that pornography use is more a symptom than a problem. If we, as Christians, truly want to help people, we have to stop seeing just the negative problems of pornography. We should be asking the question, “What is the good in watching porn?” I am using the word “good” not as a term of morality but rather of benefit. We are so bogged down in looking at the negative that we don’t see the intentions of the person behind the act. Is there anything positive in watching porn? There must be. To be clear I am not endorsing the act; rather, I want to open up our discussions on this issue in order to destigmatize the individuals in addiction.

We need their beauty to shine through the murky waters. That starts with understanding.

As I have mentioned before, the issue at hand is not the depravity of the person. They don’t just need “more Jesus.” I talked to numerous youth pastors

and youth leaders in my teenage years about this issue and every time I left these discussions feeling worse. They could tell me that it was bad, evil, or depraved, but their solution was to sign me up for a program that would send them an email if I ever looked at porn on my computer. Not only did it not work (there was always a way around that system), but more importantly, it focused on exploiting the shame I already felt. My shame told me to hide it, and this program threatened to expose it. It kept me in a place of fear and firmly planted in my shame. Trying to simply get me off the “drug” furthered my

news, but he didn’t seem to think of it as a problem that needed to be dealt with. He helped me see why I did it. I was simply coping. This terrible act I had been doing, that I thought I did because I’m a disgusting person, was a symptom of what I really needed to work on.

So what could possibly cause a symptom like pornography use? In the 1970s, Canadian psychologist Bruce K. Alexander conducted an experiment on drug addiction at Simon Fraser University, famously known as the “Rat Park.” The study’s results suggest that addiction may be firmly grounded in our

addiction in later years. We treat pornography use as the problem by only focusing on the use of it.

We don’t question why.

So what is a person’s motivation for watching pornography?

The turning point for me came in a counselling session. I had stated my belief that if anyone really knew me and could see everything they would be disgusted and leave; I was unlovable. My counsellor reached deep to find out this terrible secret no one could ever know, and through tears I told him, “I watch porn.” He looked at me and said something to the effect of, “So what?” Not only was he not bothered or shocked by this

environments and relationships.

A rat was placed in a cage with two bottles: one filled with water, the other filled with water laced with heroin. The rat would drink the heroin until it overdosed and died. Another researcher altered the experiment and designed a cage with lots of activities and numerous rats for company, keeping the two bottles in the cage.

None of the rats died, and none used the heroin compulsively.

If we are struggling in life and the only options seem to be unhealthy coping or the raw pain we cannot escape from, then we may dive into addiction. The problem is not the porn use but rather the stressors of life and

poor (or lack of ) relationships.

This has been true in my life and in the lives of others I know. This is not to say that it is my friends’ fault. To the contrary, the deeper and more vulnerable I am in my relationships, the less I feel the need to watch porn. The hardship comes when there are obstacles that impede coping through important relationships. That could be distance, fear, or lack of depth and vulnerability. This is not about fault but rather what I believe must be worked on to help.

Even though I have great people in my life, there are many obstacles that stop me from going to them when I am struggling. One of those reasons is shame.

When things are going well, rarely a thought is given to porn, and if there is a thought, it is readily dismissed, as I have no desire for it. But when I am wide-awake in the middle of the night and all I can think about are my failures, feeling desperately lonely and terrified for the future, I find relief in my addiction. When I felt so alone and hopeless—and there were times I wanted to end my life—I found relief in my addiction. I may not endorse watching pornography, but I have seen it help me get up in the morning, less crippled by my depression and anxiety. It has helped me limp on.

What I now need is to remove shame and other obstacles to my relationships. I need empathy and understanding.

If we truly want to help, we must first empathize with the pain and the struggle. We need to stop treating pornography use as the problem and start treating it more like a symptom. If we make it about shame, the addiction will win. What is the good in watching porn? This is the question I wanted to ask in order to bring about empathy and understanding, the question I am hoping will start to de-stigmatize this issue.

Now, can you answer it?

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Stupid sexy Flanders” – Jane Townsend

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March 16, 2016

The meaning behind my smile

I

nicole

mara

Any time I end up in downtown Vancouver, I catch at least nine or ten groups of people speaking Russian. The fact that there are so many of them in the Lower Mainland isn’t what surprises me–Russians like myself have inhabited the BC coast for decades.

What amuses me is that quite often I don’t even have to hear the language to identify a Slavic crowd; their facial expressions and outward appearances speak for themselves. With the number of Russians on campus only growing, it might be helpful to take a peek at why people coming from a latitude and natural environment almost identical to Canada’s

have completely different cultural, ethical, and social values.

If you happen to make eye contact with a Russian and smile like you usually do, you will most likely not get a smile in return, but likely a heated, confused, or, even worse, indifferent gaze. No need to worry—we don’t mean to send you off feeling like you’ve been betrayed. It’s in our culture, something I like to call “temporary mistrust.” This trait has been in my culture for centuries and became paramount in the way we communicate with foreigners or anyone we don’t know. Russians save their smiles for their family and closest friends because family is the cornerstone of Slavic life and culture. I have to admit, I’m still getting used to seeing people I don’t even know wave at me with a big smile, and I find myself often just looking away. We don’t practice giving our smiles and

inner radiance away to everyone we meet or happen to make eye contact with because we have been taught from an early age that a smile is a sign of love towards a person, and love, as we know, is a strong and intimate feeling we have for those with whom we share a spiritual connection. Nevertheless, as soon as you gain a Russian’s trust, however “communist” that may sound, and when they know that they have a connection with you, they will be sure to shower you with smiles, loving glances, and deep conversations.

Religion has also had a significant impact on how Russians communicate. During the Communist regime, there was no religion. There were, of course, Orthodox churches, but they played no role in forming morale or culture; hence, “do unto others” or “love thy neighbour”

were replaced with slogans such as “Be true to your comrades!” and “Join the Communist party!”

For decades Russia was stripped of Christianity and biblical values, which turned the spirits of more than four generations of Slavic completely cold. This is why so many of my countrymen often tend to display mistrust and indifference towards other people.

Despite the somewhat intimidating stares Russian people give, it says nothing about the state of their hearts. We love accepting guests into our homes and introducing foreigners to our rich culture, of which we are so proud.

And most of all, we never let our trust issues get in the way of helping others and keeping up a team and community spirit.

In Russia it’s always “comrades before self.”

Everything is grace

I

veronica

hargrave

At a gorgeous wedding a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of a valuable conversation with one of the groomsmen. He’s kind, friendly, Christian, and male.

And despite Trinity Western’s famous guy-girl ratio, he finds himself single.

That encounter got me thinking. I’m kind, friendly, Christian— and yes, single. I’ve done things right. I’m in the right program, following God’s will, and yet my father is in the hospital, my car breaks down regularly, and I’m single. My first thought: So much for prosperity for believers!

We live in a Western society founded upon a liter-

ary and cultural philosophy of poetic justice. In other words, you get what you deserve. On several occasions, I have interacted with Christians who truly believe that their faithfulness to God entails a white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and no financial concerns. Why? Perhaps because we’ve heard the Old Testament tales of Abraham and other prosperous figures being materially blessed by God for their faithfulness to him.

Perhaps Sunday school has too long taught us to take the promises in Deuteronomy 5:33 in a literal, tangible sense? This verse reads, “Walk in obedience to all that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess” (NIV). Clear as mud, right?

Now, I wouldn’t like to study the problem of evil here. Rather, I’d like to draw your attention

to the concept of reward. What exactly do we mean by the aforementioned prosperity, and how do I practically find this prosperity while waiting for a BCAA tow truck to once again haul my dying car away?

John Chapter 9 tells the story of a man who was blind from birth. Jesus’s disciples ask the Lord, What has he done to deserve such punishment? Surely, naturally, he must have sinned.

But Jesus’s response silences me every time. “It was no sin either of this man or of his parents. Rather, it was to let God’s works show forth in him.” ( John 9:3 NIV) I heard a beautiful quote recently: “Everything is grace” (St. Therese of Lisieux). I know this to be true. Everything—my ability to own a car to get to and from school, my physical wellbeing and very life (be it in or out of a hospital bed), and each and every one

of the relationships around me— is grace. We are not in control of what happens to us. Everything is grace.

What is the definition of grace?

According to Merriam-Webster, grace is “unmerited divine assistance.” If this is true, none of what we receive is earned. When life and sustenance come from God, how can anything we receive be earned? If we could earn our way to what we deserve, we would be making the God of the universe subject to our wills, making ourselves greater than this God. Grace draws us into relationship.

Grace grounds our perspective of life and prosperity in God and our response to him.

“Rather, it was to let God’s works show forth in him.” I love the story of the blind man. He is a man with God-given challenges, much like our own university’s president, Bob Kuhn.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Bob Kuhn” – Renee Kuhn

From my experience with Bob Kuhn, he doesn’t see his impairments as a punishment, but as an opportunity for grace.

This, I believe, is the key: the acknowledgement of grace as opportunity rather than a means to reward. Whether our grace is a joyful celebration of a marriage or a trip up the 8th floor of Vancouver General Hospital, we are given opportunity to be faithful.

Perhaps we’re all a little guilty of wishful thinking. We misappropriate the Old Testament promises of prosperity to fit the material world of here and now when, in fact, we should be looking at the greater picture. It’s not a matter of reward in terms of being single or married, healthy or in hospital, rich or driving a crappy car. It’s choosing to let God shine forth in us, because we haven’t earned where we are in life. Everything is grace.

March 16, 2016 CanIL Language and Culture Discovery Grant $500 per eligible linguistics course!

Apply by April 15th for Summer / July 15th for Fall

9

History

For more info: www.canil.ca/discoverygrant

of

Fashion

DISCOVER Language and Culture

Linguistics

at

Eligible courses: LING 101: Intro to Linguistics (FA, SP) LING 210: Language and Society (FA, SP, SU) LING 310: Articulatory Phonetics (2nd or 3rd year standing, FA, SP, SU)

TWU

1976

1985

1992

2001 Photos courtesy of Pillar Yearbook

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? *finger guns* - Graeme Geddes

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March 16, 2016

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Depends of the judicial system.” – Peter Durovic

March 16, 2016

I

rachael

gingell

The majority of my young adult life has been blighted by illness. I suffered from a debilitating sleep disorder. For seven years, I slept three to four nights a week, and during the last, brutal six months, twelve hours a week. This disorder poisoned my life, my mind, and my soul. The minutest task was a battle, and the world was a painful, ugly place. Then, two years ago, as suddenly as if someone had flipped a switch, the problem was gone. I could fall asleep, and when I awoke, I awoke to beauty.

I will never be able to sufficiently explain my revelation when the scales of exhaustion fell from my eyes. I was astonished by the world: everything was new, everything was wonder, everything was joy. There were so many intricate details, so many exquisite moments, and scarcely enough time to take them in. I was intoxicated by beauty.

I have had the blessing of suffering. The illness that I thought had robbed me of my youth has repaid me in its parting gift: a taste of childlike wonder. Yes, the initial euphoria has somewhat worn off, but I have been left with awareness and a hunger for something I hadn’t truly seen before. Something I now see disappearing rapidly from our culture, if not from our world.

The modern world places a premium on utility so that beauty has no apparent value. To some, it has no apparent reality. Gone are the days when concepts such as Love and Beauty were considered external realities,

personified in art as Venuses who inspired the human mind and spirit. We live in a culture where it is considered offensive to suggest that there is such a thing as good or bad taste. Beauty is no longer a concrete thing; it’s just a word to qualify individual tastes.

Perhaps, as Roger Scruton suggests, people have lost their faith in beauty along with their belief in ideals. When the only consideration is utilitarian value, beauty has no part to play.

This has even become the case in art, where beauty was once the primary consideration.

Now originality is the primary consideration. Contemporary art increasingly shocks and horrifies. It does not, as it once did, redeem the world through a sense of the sublime, but merely favours the grotesque and sordid. This may be why the public is increasingly disenchanted with the art world. Art, in many cases, has been reduced to mere idea or obscenity. Up until the modern age, the artist’s task was to awaken the viewer to the beauty of his subject and, in so doing, reveal fundamental truths about being. Art is now like everything else, either entertainment or commodity.

The world is one of appetite, excited and tempted by consumerist spectacle but never truly satisfied. It leaves behind a mountain of discarded objects.

Yet beauty, in all its apparent uselessness, satisfies a real human need.

True beauty accosts and transports us beyond our own anxieties and interests to a place of delight or contemplation of a direct, intense experience. The wonderful thing is that in all its extraordinary otherworldliness, beauty can make itself known to us in the midst of the ordinary. Beauty

is not proud; it is there waiting to be glimpsed in the smallest gesture, the softest word, or the darkest corner. What is more, it is present in suffering.

Consider nobility, compassion, and dignity in the face of brutality or death. Consider the crucifixion. These things are universally beautiful. Beauty has a way of baptising the chaos, suffering, and sordidness of the world and making it bearable by giving it meaning. Beauty offers relief from the evils of the world, a kind of transcendental and redemptive experience that I believe can only come from an encounter with God. For me, beauty, especially in suffering, is the trace of God’s presence in his creation.

This is an old idea. In Platonic language, beauty is the image of goodness in the world, the revelation of God in the here and now. For Kant, it brought us into the presence of the sacred.

Beauty as an immanent force is a symptom of God’s own immanence. But it is an idea that the world has rejected. The contemporary arts have begun to look upon beauty as an absurdly outmoded and trivial pursuit. The rest of the world sees it as unnecessary. This way of life leaves us profoundly bereaved.

We are in need of beauty, just as we are in need of truth, love, and goodness. We are in need of it because we are in need of God. It offers us serenity and consolation in the face of the mundane and the horrific. True beauty is a worthy pursuit and an essential spiritual resource; if we attune ourselves to beauty, we attune ourselves to God’s work in the world. To wake up to beauty is to glimpse heaven, and to turn our backs on beauty is to alienate ourselves from God.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Is this a riddle?” – Sebastian Wingfield.

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12

February 24, 2016 inspired by

[spaces] WELCOME TO [SPACES] LITERARY JOURNAL

Pear - Jessica Van Rooyen (Vol.10)

Power and Strength - Bronwyn McVey (Vol.10)

TWU’s official literary journal, [spaces], is entering its tenth anniversary volume! As part of our celebration, the Mars’ Hill has kindly agreed to dedicate one page from each issue to feature some of the finest pieces that [spaces] has published over the years.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Isn’t it like Snow White or something?” – Michael Bogress

march 16, 2016

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matthew wigmore

Photo Credit: Emmanuel Lubezki

I

sam

rosenau

It has happened. Leonardo DiCaprio, the face of films such as Titanic, Catch Me If You Can, and Inception, has received an arbitrary yet monumental reward.

After years of being in front of the camera, DiCaprio has finally added the venerable Oscar to his résumé.

It all began on February 28, 2016—the night of the 88th Academy Awards. Shoulders were heavy, the anticipation was relentless, and the pressure was on. Or was it? Although Leo has a reputation of being the unsung hero of multiple films, was anyone actually not expecting him to

get his Oscar this time around?

It once seemed obvious that Leo would receive an Oscar for movies as varied as Blood Diamond and The Aviator, but this time felt different.

Unlike some of Leo’s other iconic acting roles, it seemed he had poured everything he had into The Revenant in such a way that I wondered if he would ever star in a movie again. Leo’s effort certainly paid off. I believe that The Revenant is a masterpiece—a title earned due to its protagonist.

Don’t get me wrong, the film’s success is owed to the entire team and director Alejandro González Iñárritu, the genius himself. Yet, even with the stunning cinematography, fantastic set design, and everything in between, would The Revenant really be the masterpiece it is if it had not included Leo?

I don’t believe so. I am not implying that every other actor in Hollywood is incapable and inferior, but instead suggesting that Leo’s performance was genuine, raw, and immaculate. Thinking of another actor in his role would be like cheating on your spouse: it’s wrong and it should feel wrong.

What Leo did in The Revenant allowed the audience to engage with his emotional narrative.

When I watched it for the first time, I wanted to reach out and help him in all of his troubles. I wanted to fight against his enemies and oppressors with equal rage flowing through my veins.

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t stand a chance against Tom Hardy. But my response proves that Leo’s performance had an impact in a way I don’t think anyone else

could have.

So, did Leo deserve his Oscar? Absolutely.

Is the Academy corrupt? Maybe. Does a gold statue make him a better actor?

Not really. What matters is that even without his Oscar, he is

recognized for high-caliber talent. Art, talent, and passion are not represented by trophies, but instead through expression, and, in this case, film.

Photo Credit: vanityfair.com

Objectively beautiful Jacqueline Young is a survivor of domestic violence, and a policy writer for TWU’s Finance departments, previously working as an administrator at ACTS Seminary. She holds a Master’s Degree in Anthropology from UBC and is contemplating whether or not to finish an interdisciplinary PhD at UC Berkeley. Her thoughts are both academically and personally rooted.

I

jacqueline

young

When I asked my boyfriend to comment on a Globe and Mail article about CBC’s new documentary, Girls’ Night Out, he heartily agreed that such productions are necessary because men frequently view women, especially women who might potentially be both beautiful and intelligent, as objects—nice to look at but, fortunately, morally and intellectually inferior. He reminisced about a newscast he had seen in which a reporter questioned a number of bikini-clad college students about

current politics as a display of their lack of intelligence. The purpose seems obvious: ogle near-naked women while reducing them to no more than a body.

I argue, however, that women are no less guilty in contributing to this system of misogyny; we love to judge women who show more skin than we do. At a recent discussion on pornography, the audience was asked to view a series of stereotypical ads depicting sexualized women with the (valid) point of showing the ways women are portrayed as sexualized objects. Participating in this activity, I was convicted that we all have the ability to choose to think positively of women as whole people.

Our culture of victim blaming, although some would call it sin, is destructive rhetoric around modesty and purity that is little more than a mechanism to eschew responsibility. When we moralize the body and sexuality, we unconsciously curb the power of those we see as potentially powerful subjects—for example, through labels such as “the husband stealer” or “the attractive colleague.” This is the mechanism at play in any culture that allows the privileged (usually men) to set rules for women. There is a relative connection between curbing adoration and “braided hair” and the prohibitions against women speaking in the church, in Paul’s letters.

When we begin to change our own aesthetic lens, we cease to be a culture in which “promiscuous” behavior and dress is as frequent as women no longer having to seek power via sex and beauty. We should question our right to moralize the behaviors that even our biblical heroines displayed: Ruth or Yael became subjects by using their beauty and sexual prowess to survive in a world where they were objects. I do not believe God condemns the “scandalous” actions of those women as we might today. I believe God condemns authorities who promote a culture of objectification and victim blaming so central in the modesty and purity camps; it was Jesus who spoke out against

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “The Ferris Wheel.” – Nathan Stein

divorce, not morally, but because divorce meant leaving a woman little option other than prostitution. Prostitution, in this context, was a way in which women could survive on their own, only to be judged for ‘scandalous’ behavior.

We ought to reconsider what really is destructive—the conversation shouldn’t stop at “sin”—about sexuality. Dressing immodestly or choosing to be intimate with a committed partner before marriage isn’t necessarily wrong, but it is wrong to objectify those who do.

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march 16, 2016

SAMC theatre presents:

I

kate

nundal

The 1950s were a time of elegant fashion, smooth music, and some smash-hit love stories. All of these are about to come to life again in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, brought to you by TWU’s own SAMC Theatre!

The opening of Twelfth Night, the last production of SAMC Theatre’s 2015/2016 season, is less than a month away. After the short but very sweet run of New Generations in early February, things have been pretty quiet (as quiet as theatre people can be, of course) on the surface in the Theatre Department, but in the mean time the director, designers, cast, and crew of Twelfth Night have been working relentlessly to bring this show to the stage.

Director Kate Muchmore Woo moulds Shakespeare’s strange realm of Illyria (the setting) into a luxurious, affluent fashion hub

inspired by the post-war era.

Love-sick tycoon Di’Orsino relentlessly attempts to woo that indifferent queen of fashion, Olivia, with hopeless results. Add a pair of identical twins, some crossdressing, and cross-gartering into the mix and romantic mayhem ensues.

But it’s also not all fun and games—you never know when a fancy jacket is hiding a sharp switchblade. And there’s Festa, whose vibrant clothing and clever repartee hides quite the cynical worldview. And, as far as romantic conclusions go, you can’t make a happy ending without breaking a few hearts, as more than one character is about to find out.

Twelfth Night is a comedy, certainly, but it does what all good comedy does—exposes some truth about the world while making you laugh.

While I am brand new to the SAMC stage, the Twelfth Night cast includes many of TWU’s graduating BFA students for whom this will be the final show of their undergraduate career.

It has been very rewarding as a

student actor to work with others with so much more rehearsal and performance experience and who will soon be entering the professional world. Rehearsals are a time of both laughter and deep discovery, which will not only enhance the show but also our personal lives—I’ve grown a lot since the start of the semester.

Twelfth Night promises a show full of witty banter, romantic confusion, and hilarious escapades of the kind only Shakespeare could pen. You will definitely need some time away from the stress at the end of the semester, and I would encourage you to come and share this story with us for one evening.

You’ll laugh yourself into actual physical pain (any injuries sustained while laughing happen at your own risk), and you’ll get to see a fresh take on a story that’s been known and loved for centuries. Twelfth Night will step onto the runway (Freedom Hall in RNT) on March 29, and runs for just two weeks. So pull on your favourite outfit and come see the show!

Modest is hottest Just don’t cause a brother to stumble

I

shelby

dumoulin

Christian “purity culture” has painted a grossly distorted picture of what “beauty” and “modesty” are meant to look like, especially with regards to women. If you are anything like me, having grown up around the intellectual sinkhole that too often results from Evangelical Christianity, you have probably heard phrases like “modest is hottest” and “don’t cause a brother to stumble.” If you haven’t, it’s probably because you are male. My generation of Christian girls has been plagued

by teachings that treat the female body as if it were a danger to men.

The term “modesty” is thrown around with the assumption that the modest woman’s purpose is to protect her male counterparts from the festering evil that is her uncovered skin. This in turn strips (pardon the pun) a woman’s body of its beauty, of its dignity, and of its God-given worthiness, imprisoning it into a pathetic little box marked “For Sex Only.”

In a biblical context, modesty is not given as a directive to cover up with the intention of “protecting the men-folk.” Rather, the purpose of modesty is for the sake of women themselves to learn humility, to find worth in the Creator rather than elaborate clothing, and to be liberated from the pressures of social classes,

which were represented by things like braided hair and jewelry (1 Tim. 2:9-10, 1 Peter 3:1-4). Our modern interpretation of modesty does a disservice to both men and women by imagining men as undisciplined animals while allowing women to be treated like objects, and then blaming women for their own mistreatment. As a woman, I will say it can be pretty irrelevant how much skin is showing. I have had my ass grabbed at far more times in sweat pants than I have in short shorts.

It is truly unfortunate that the body has been robbed of all meaning but the sexual. The pressure placed on girls and women by an oversexed society with a beautyobsessed media cannot be denied, and yes, the portrayal of nudity in visual media can aggravate the

issue of female objectification.

However, this does not always have to be the case. There is a difference between Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda video, where the camera glides over fragmented body parts without any suggestion of a personal being, and movies like Ex Machina, where female nudity is used to portray the essence of humanity. In the final scene of the film, Ava, a cyborg, stands before a mirror where she gazes on her new, fully nude form, discovering for the first time what it means to be human.

Such images can serve as a powerful reminder of what we carry in common as human beings, inspiring us to cast off the covers and walls to which we so desperately cling. It can scare us, it can make us uncomfortable,

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Renee Kuhn” – Bob Kuhn

and it can teach us. But God forbid a Christian girl wear a sundress on a hot day or torn jeans or any other clothing that reveals her to be female.

My aim is not to trash the purity movement and everything for which it stands. I am also not advocating the excess of nudity in today’s visual media. I simply want to challenge a view that sees the body as less than it is.

We turn the body into an object by oversexualising it, but we can also oversexualize the body in our attempts to cover it up. It is time we recognize the inherent beauty of our physical existence and treat our bodies with the respect they deserve as the handiwork of the Creator and the image of the Word made Flesh.

march 16, 2016

15

What is beauty?

Thoughts with the brain behind the brand: NH Elixir

I

ing. It cannot be tamed or caged.

My goal is to empower others to embrace the beauty that they each were created with, recognizing that it’s inside and out, cultivating it so that they become the

natalie

hilder

As I sit here thinking about my journey as a female entrepreneur in the fashion and beauty industry, on International Women’s Day, no less, these concepts swirl through my mind.

Each of us carries a divine spark within us, given by God. This makes us beautiful, whether we believe so or not. The beauty each of us possesses cannot be quantified or measured, although many have tried. If there’s one thing I am sure of, it is that beauty does not bow down to our narrow political and cultural definitions. Beauty is mysterious and complex, connected to spirit, mind, and body. It is powerful, moving, admired, misunderstood, enticing, intimidating and heal-

best versions of themselves while improving the experiences of the people they meet. People who live full and authentic lives inspire me; those who are unafraid to “own” who they are, while si-

multaneously acknowledging and appreciating their beauty within and the beauty in the people around them.

Starting my brand, NH Elixir, and launching our new product, the Luxury Face Oil, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Before I ever imagined that I would start my own business, I knew what my standards were, what I believed in and what I was looking for. I was not trying to fit inside a plastic mould; instead I wanted to celebrate every kind of beauty while promoting health and vitality. After years of research, I designed a product that I knew would offer the results I wanted while aligning with my belief that health and transparency matter.

As a skin-care company, we offer a product that improves the complexion by calming irritation, combatting various skin issues,

and prolonging the appearance of youth. We are committed to providing this product from a natural source, openly sharing our ingredients with the world. Sticking to these values is more important to me than any profit because it is a reflection of who I am and what I believe in.

I do not own beauty—no one does. But I am beautiful, and so are you. Yes, beauty shows on the outside—it reflects that we are taking care of ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually—but it is much deeper than that. It is how we treat people and what we stand for. Through my personal, ongoing journey of discovery, I have found empowering people to be the best version of themselves, and seeing their confidence grow as a result, to be the most gratifying reward of all.

Batman v. superman: dawn of justice

I

eric

geddes

Well, my fellow moviegoers, the time has almost come! Circle this date on your calendars: March 25, 2016. In just under a month, we will see director Zack Snyder continue his Superman story he began with Man of Steel, but this time Batman and Wonder Woman join in this cinematic epic.

However, before that, let us examine the monstrous shoes this movie has to fill—those being Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy told dark yet very engaging stories about something that very few, if any, of the other Batman movies were able to; why Batman is who he is and what that means for those around him.

I don’t remember the first time I saw Batman Begins, but I do re-

to

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e Cr

: dit

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member being a little confused by it. I had to watch it once or twice before everything made sense.

Although the gritty and realistic cinematography works well, the best thing about Batman Begins is its focus on telling the story of Bruce Wayne first and Batman second. We see Bruce’s journey from innocent boy to world-weary convict to idealistic crusader all before he dons the cape and cowl.

This narrative offers new empathetic dimension to Batman. We know how he feels when his parents get shot. We feel the impact of what his mentor Ra’s al Ghul teaches him: the skills, strength, and will to overcome his fear and do “what is necessary” to fight evil and corruption.

Despite wanting to love The Dark Knight, I simply do not, though I do respect it as a wellmade film. Christian Bale does a great job reprising his role as Batman, Arron Eckhart gives a very heroic turn as Gotham’s White

Knight D.A. Harvey Dent, and I wholeheartedly agree that Heath Ledger deserved his Oscar for his terrifying performance as the Joker. The directing and shot compositions, as per usual with these movies, are very well done.

The story is very mature and daring. To quote the Joker, this film “changed things forever” and lent more credibility to the superhero genre.

The problem with The Dark Knight is that it’s too dark and depressing for me to enjoy very much. Many people find the Joker funny, but it’s hard for me to feel anything but fear each time I see him. Watching Two-Face kill people while saying, “The world is cruel, and the only morality in a cruel world is chance,” is heartbreaking. Batman’s decision to take the blame for Harvey’s murders is noble but doesn’t

Why I like the original story better than the one that “changed things forever”

work as well for me. It supports the largely unsatisfying argument that people can’t know the truth because “people lose hope.” The biggest insult is Batman’s line, “Sometimes the truth isn’t good enough; sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have

their faith rewarded.” Does that imply that truth is inherently devoid of faith? Is faith never warranted with good conscience?

The character of Batman has a lot of potential to reflect hope and redemption. I hope our faith is rewarded

by David Goyer, the co-writer of Batman v.

Superman.

zy

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Let’s be real. Beyoncé.” – Tunji Taylor-Lewis

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march 16, 2016

KATIE MARYSCHUK

The ever changing beauty of sport

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bailey

broadbent

A major shift is currently underway in how the world watches live sports. For most sports, the skill of athletes used to bring fans together. People were drawn to sports because of the beauty of individual skill possessed by those athletes. However, for many fans today, paying money to simply watch a sport no longer suffices.

Although the success of a team, overall history of the sport, and the character of the venue still play fairly large roles, they are no longer the selling points. The line between live sports and watching at home has never before been more blurred, which in turn has given fans less incentive to actu-

ally experience the sport live.

It is this problem that has forced more sports organizations to focus on providing an overall experience for their fans from start to finish, with new age technology and fan interaction now improving “the beauty of sport.”

Sports fans across the globe are experiencing the next level of sports entertainment every day as a result of both overall stadium aesthetics and atmosphere. New sports facilities and stadiums continue to be constructed at a tremendous rate. One example of this is the most recent proposal coming out of Los Angeles in the form of a $2.6 billion sports complex to serve as a home for their newly relocated NFL franchise, the LA Rams.

In his article, “ISportConnect.com,” Richard Breslin, who

oversaw the design of Sydney Olympic stadium at the Summer Olympics in 2000, shared his opinions on the ever growing fan experience that continues to rise in popularity. He wrote, “Taking [sports fans] beyond being a spectator, we make fans active participants in shaping their social experience.

The desire for connectivity is perhaps the most basic aspect of the human spirit.” As great as this technological craze sounds, this “beauty” phenomenon is a double edged sword for both sports fans and owners alike.

The New York Islanders of the NHL, who played their first 43 years within the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, were in dire

need of a new facility in 2012. The once beautiful, state-of-the-art stadium in the 1970’s had become outdated, minimally meeting the league requirements for a technological sound environment for its fans. Thus, without city approval

in funds for a new stadium, o w n e r Charles Wang was forced to move the team to Brooklyn.

Overall, the beauty of sport has been taken to whole new heights, with fan experience becoming the new focus. A “good game” was once defined by how a particular individual or team played that particular match. But today, that definition has slowly become realized through the overall atmosphere of the game, by how fans react to the product being displayed, and ultimately, how much money ends up in the owners’ pockets.

Covering your teams better than anyone else

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maryschuk

Ask anyone five years ago what the Bleacher Report is, and they might have looked at you a little bit funny. “The what report?”

Today the B/R stands as one of the world’s leading websites for sports information, stories, and game updates. Founded in 2007 by college graduates with an interest in spreading the love of sports, the site now serves as one of the fastest growing entertainment sources in history. This could be attributed to their fan-based strategy of storytelling. “Fans tell us what they want, and we create, curate

and deliver the content they are seeking,” B/R states. Or maybe it is the fact that they serve as the foundation for CNN Sports and provide content that addresses ‘outside-the-box’ stories. With an app to boot, it has transformed in just nine years from a meager blog to a booming media outlet. It channels interest, humour, and important issues, all while playing to the quirky and astonishing side of sports. For example, the latest headlines read, “LeBron Enters Staples Jamming Kendrick” and “Nate Robinson to Try Out for NFL,” as well as “Dell and Sonya Curry Talk Coaching Their Sons”.

One of the key focuses of B/R is its support for both the athletes who play the sports but also the writers and contributors behind the scenes. B/R provides the perfect avenue for seasoned veterans to exercise their writing skills in showcasing athletes and games,

but also attracts students and contributors of all ages to hone their skills and continue learning the writing process. These pieces are often on the edge of controversy, handling recent rumours as well as addressing personal issues

among players.

Since the B/R started as a blog, it makes sense that it is, in fact, still home to the original blog. A little digging around the website leads to the original blog’s home page and its first published article: “How I got the story.” Taking a step even further into the depths of sports journalism, King Kaufman, Senior Quality Control Manager for B/R, composes pieces on the ethics, issues, and trends behind the reporting itself. Putting the athletes aside, Kaufman directs his attention to the writers. This attention is a rarity, and perhaps brings out an important part of journalism that

is sometimes forgotten. While sources such as ESPN and TSN boast a seasoned team of veteran writers, they stand as sites that deliver expositional information: numbers, game play, and direct facts. Don’t get me wrong; ESPN and TSN deliver outstanding content and excellent game recap.

But sites such as B/R and perhaps The Players’ Tribune offer readers a more personal experience— something they can laugh about and relate to. This engagement fosters a new love for the sport itself, and a more dedicated and interested fan base.

If you are looking for the next top shooter in the NCAA, play remarks on current issues, or controversial topics covered by insightful writers, head to the Bleacher Report. You won’t be disappointed.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Kreg Lonneberg" – Cheyanne Makelki

march 16, 2016

Ronda Rousey: the face of MMA blood, sweat, and tears, women in the ring are clad in sports bras and shorts, hair tied back in tight braids and ponytails, and subject to disapproval and mockery from fans of all sorts. In 2012, she was featured in the annual Known as the first female fighter ESPN Body Issue, and in Octoto sign with the UFC and for her ber of 2015, Rousey made waves quick attack and record-breaking as the first woman ever to host knockouts, Ronda Rousey has ESPN’s Sports Centre. More refront-lined the mixed martial arts cently, she took part in the Body news for the past few years. In a Paint issue with Sports Illustrated, male-dominated sport, Ronda holding nothing back. Her sports Rousey quickly succeeded in her career attests to the determinacareer as a professional fighter, tion required of women in the winning all six possible titles UFC who try to break through since entering the league in 2012. the barriers of body image and On November 15, 2015, her gender inequality. There is a fine streak came to a screeching halt. balance between raw character Rousey was knocked out by Hol- and powerful beauty, something ly Holm in the second round of that Rousey portrays both in and a much anticipated competition. out of the ring.

In February of this year, Rousey Rousey’s success spiraled in the sat down with talk show host and aftermath. celebrity Ellen Degeneres to deUFC fighting is not known for scribe her emotions and attitude finesse or elegant performance towards her fight with Holm in like other sports; it’s not rhythNovember.

“I was literally sitting mic like gymnastics or synchrothere and thinking about killnized like swimming. Involving ing myself,” she bravely admitted

to Ellen. This statement sparked an entirely new conversation regarding the hidden truth behind sport. For Rousey, UFC is in her blood, but despite the mounting acclaim of her successes, one loss caused her world to come crashing down. Despite her seemingly composed demeanor on national television, Rousey struggled with the truth of her experience with depression and suicide.

Coming from a background where her father and grandfather committed suicide, Rousey has had to reconsider her identity as a world-class fighter. As a role model, she had to deal with how to portray herself in light of her loss. Sharing her story and her inner failures allows UFC fighters, females in sport, as well as athletes in general to relate to similar feelings and experiences. Derek Coy of Task & Purpose summarizes her journey: “By candidly discussing her suicidal ideations on national television [she] broke down the barrier surrounding suicide by humanizing it. Her statement was not a ‘slap in the face’,

to the positive impact intramural and club sports have for TWU students.

What does a usual week look like for you with your sports commitments?

I play on a volleyball, basketball and soccer intramural team (shout out to Brett Fontaine, triple crown this year, bud?), which fills most nights. Then I have club volleyball practices and hockey on the weekend. It sounds like a lot, but it’s usually just 1 hour per night, which means I have to choose between binge watching Fuller House or playing intramurals.

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How did you first get involved with your sport?

Volleyball was the first sport I picked up. Other than the fact that sports are fun to play, I got involved because I saw the benefits of being a part of a team.

What made you want to continue playing into university?

I am surprised by how much I get to play here at TWU. I came to school with low expectations of being a part of a team, but Rec Services has continued to facilitate and promote competitive yet fun sporting environments on and off campus. I see the way each intramural league or club sport brings people together, whether it's seeing a teammate in the hall and talking about the game, playfully trash talking your opponent in class prior to intramural that night, or making sure you have a good game of volleyball when you’re playing against your friends. With all of this in mind, I am very privileged to be a part of Rec Services and help contribute

What would you say is the most rewarding part of the sport?

The two club teams that I am involved with offer different rewards. For the volleyball team, the most rewarding part is giving players the opportunity to play at a competitive level. As a Bomber, the rewarding part is seeing improvement for myself and for the team, both off and on the ice.

Both teams offer a good amount of community, and that’s what we pay for when attending Trinity, right?

Tell us a bit about Rec Services and how you see yourself facilitating community through sport at TWU. Rec Services is something special, and I really want to encourage those who don’t participate to take a leap and join a team next semester. Our slogan is “where friends meet” or as some may say, “where friends get friendlier.” In my role I try to facilitate by either planning events within my teams (shout out to Bombers mini-stick tournament) or join in the other special events. (Bombers vs Jets March, 19 @ 8:00)

rather more like a warm embrace for other people who have felt the same way.” Rousey took a step of faith in admitting that despite her successes and the glamour surrounding her career, she is still a human being. Even the greatest of fighters can fall victim to pervasive comments, judgment, and inner battles with self-harm.

Regardless of your feelings toward Ronda Rousey, many of her actions and words can be deemed honourable and level-headed, especially in the athletic community.

Standards of beauty and achievement are imposed upon us all. We often forget that we are all human, striving to be greeted with acceptance for the things we deem unacceptable.

If you could try any other sport, which would it be and why?

Slamball. It’s the mix of trampolines and basketball. Who doesn’t want to get double bounced then dunk a basketball?

braden rosenfeld

year: third sport: undertermined

hometown: surrey, bc major: psychology

for more from Braden and exciting online exclusives go to

marshillonline.com

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Fair is a subjective term." – Noel Muddamalle

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march 16, 2016

Volleyball teams on the edge of glory Editor’s note: This article was written pre-CIS weekend, March 9, 2016.

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devaney

A medal and a banner: the culmination of a lengthy season. These achievements are what we work for by investing countless hours in the gym and the weight room, incessantly watching game tapes, and rehabbing in an attempt to avoid the inevitable unraveling of our fickle bodies.

Our men’s team went into CanWest Final 4 as the lowest seed set to face the top seeded University of Alberta. In an amazing show of grit and determination, our boys

The Ride of the Rohirrim – Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) 2003

teammate on our roster; all have played an imperative role in our success, as culture, leadership, and heart are not just a product of court time. Team culture comes not only from our athletic abilities but also from our unique character as people. These wins belong to all of our friends who have put up with our hectic schedules, offering nothing but words of encouragement and endless support. As a friend of others who have won, there is nothing sweeter than seeing the people you care about succeed and be rewarded for their hard work. These wins belong to our professors and other TWU staff whose support never fails to amaze—we are beyond grateful for the flexibility, grace, and

March of the Resistance – John Williams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) 2016

encouragement shown by these innumerable people. These wins belong to all of our families who have made us their priority for so long. The reward of seeing the excitement and love in their eyes at every match is reward enough for me. We are greatly indebted to all of our families for extending vast hospitality in hosting and feeding us, cheering for us until they are voiceless, and for loving us unconditionally.

These wins belong to our incredible strength coaches Andrew, Adrienne, and our student coaches who care and invest deeply in our health and well-being. These wins belong to Nat, Phil, and every student therapist involved, for gluing us back together when

we break down, offering an ear to listen, and for constant laughter (and occasional tears). These wins belong to our coaches who likely invest more time in the gym than any of us do. Great teams often reflect their coaches, and I am proud to say that our successes reflect the quality of our coaches Ryan Hofer and Ben Josephson as well as the numerous others who lead alongside them.

As we see this season come to an end, I am confident that our wonderfully eclectic community will carry us through. Regardless of our results, I hope that we can reflect the beautiful collection of people who share a passion for one another and a passion for this sport as we finish off our season.

By Levin C. Handy (per http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpbh.04326) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

To Aslan’s Camp – Harry Gregson-Williams (The Chronicles of Narnia) 2005

beat Alberta in three straight sets and advanced on to win the final.

In similar stride, our women’s team rallied back from a 0-2 deficit to also beat the University of Alberta and advance on to beat the host UBCO in the final. The numbers were impressive, and many great athletes accomplished numerous praiseworthy plays; but the victory belongs not to the few who played but to the collection of people who have contributed in every way imaginable. I have a massive amount of respect for each and every member of our extended team: teammates, friends, professors, strength coaches, athletic therapists, families, coaches, and every other contributor.

These wins belong to each

You don’t have to sit in school to stand among greatness.

cinematic"playlist ^for*

¼your"next"workout½ › Thomas Edison:

Dream Within a Dream – Hans Zimmer (Inception) 2010

Climbing up “Iknimaya – The Path to Heaven” – James Horner (Avatar) 2009

He’s a Pirate - Hans Zimmer (Pirates of the Caribbean) 2007

The world’s most extraordinary failure never gave up.

Thank goodness.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Not Scalia, apparently." – Jared Barkman

open. online. everywhere. go.athabascau.ca/online-courses

March 16, 2016

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KREG LONNEBERG

Social Anxiety

by Amy Dauer

How to Get Beautiful Michael Bogress Hair in 5 Easy Steps

1 2 3 4 5

Wake up having a whole lotta friends.

Use an expensive dry shampoo. None of the wet, liquid crap.

Apply liberal amount of matte styling paste to hair.

Self-portraits with the greats

Sprinkle hair with fairy dust.

Go to chapel.

Please.

by Amy Casali

Name: Vincent Van Gogh

Name: Frida Khalo

Occupation: Painter and lover

Occupation: Painter

of starry nights

Noteworthy Features: The

eyes are sad, indicating perhaps that his parents failed to hug him between the ages of 8 and 16.

The dotty brush strokes likely indicate a scattered, distracted mentality. van Gogh definitely does not remember what he had for breakfast this morning, or even if he had breakfast.

What this portraits really says: “I have no idea that one day Doctor Who is going to turn me into an internet meme.”

Noteworthy Features: Weird black animals. Weird black animals are a hallmark of Kahlo portraits. One could interpret this as a deep, meaningful and kind of creepy connection to nature.

One could also interpret this as “I took the crazy cat lady thing and kind of went off the rails with it.”

The butterflies are indicative of her being a free spirit but the facial expression and the direct-intocamera-gaze say, “I hate hippies and capitalists alike. Also, I have reverse contoured my face.”

What this portraits really says: “Cultural

standards of beauty are for pleebs. I am a boss.”

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “I wish my mirror could talk…” - Rob Workman

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February 10, 2016

Submit your declassifIeds at:

www.marshillonline.com/de-classifIed 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.

What I’ve learned over Reading Break: Which of my friends have way more money than me

I’m sorry to say that the new gym and I broke up... we just weren’t working out.

“Thuglas”... more like “Thug-less” - Fraser rivalry

I didn’t come here to find a wife, I didn’t come here to find a wife, I didn’t come here to...oh my gosh she’s drop dead gorgeous I want to marry her

You know TWUSA, the commuters had a gotcha tournament too and it ended the same day.

Gregg Embrey: 14 kills!

There’s two types of girls in Northwest: those who pee in the showers, and liars.

I demand more puppies.

Power goes out: Emails prof and says that I won’t be able to hand in my assignment on time because I don’t have internet... #rookiemistake I asked my dad which denomination I belonged to and he replied, “Dollars and cents.”

The senioritis is strong with this one.

Twusa will be taking bets on new end-of-year relationships. Double the winnings if it involves a nurse, an RA or a worship team leader. did Tyson Lamar graduate?

Outdoor chapel construction conspiracy: Why is it on schedule?

Secret confession of mine? Ive wanted to stay overnight alone in the library for years now. Just me and my books.

POLS 101 is the Buzzfeed of TWU Fun fact: There are enough bones in the human body to make an entire human skeleton.

Classic Pirate.

“I don’t know about you Frank, but I don’t like the look of those students.”

“Yeah, me neither.”

“Know what we should do? Poop where they’re gonna walk.”

“That’s an excellent idea!” said Frank, as the two gooses waddled towards their RNT Walking into the West Coast again feels like coming home.

Long time reader. First time poster. Can I get a shout out??

I don’t understand how people find their soul mates in the first 2 months of school, it took me 3 years just to find out where Strombeck is Jacob Kern sexy shirtless volleyball. Oops this isn’t Google.

Attention all students. Mars hill is having another social media contest. This time, post a selfie of you and your squad breaking the community covenant.

Winners get a free $25 gift card to Sodexo.

MAAAAAAH ZE VENYA baba deze babaaaaaaaaaa. or something like that.

Shoutout to my roommate for being Graeme Fowler there is always someone shouting to a friend on campus from the upper window of Douglas North when I walk past....can I be your friend?

We talked about how you can fish in McMillan Lake. #atwulovestory

THE suzanne SheVANGELIST trimm

Hometown: Turin, Alberta (it’s a hamlet, just a gas station and grain elevator)

Denomination: Spirituawl Fave preacher? Me at 4am every morning saying, “The world is awesome, people are awesome, get up and have fun!”

Views on courtship? I love love. When I see

the students I’ve known for years get engaged, I cry.

Ask around. I am a mess! I cried less when I first got engaged, or the other 3 times in the 90’s and that one time in 2004. I should have rethought that answer.

Age limit (max/min)? In my 20’s it was older, in my 30’s it was, dating? What? Who has time for that? In my 40s, I just love when someone does my laundry. God bless that.

year: This year is better than the last! (I got another dog)

age: 45

height: 5’9”

(more mature at age 25)

Idea of a perfect date? Surfing in Tofino. Or you know, Cards Against Humanity to see how horrible they are. Or dare them to do random things. If they cringe and think you are crazy, move on. They’re probably a schmuck.

Best place for a first kiss? When they least expect it.

Good age to get married? Ages 21 -100, There is just that “spark.” My grandmother got remarried at 87. For the young folk: graduate and travel the world. I still have 97 countries to tackle!

Then settle down—or, rather, don’t ever settle.

How would you win her parents over? I brought over 2 bacon wrapped Turkeys for Thanksgiving 8 years ago, and stuffing, and gravy, and everything. They love me.

(compared to the Spartans, I feel like a Hobbit)

If you were to start your own country, what would you name it? Westfalia Westoros!

Domestic talent? I’m a domestic goddess. I can watch Netflix all weekend and the house looks spotless. #LifeGoals.

What is your one pet-peeve working at Sodexo? Oh, honestly? I terribly miss when my favorites finally graduate. I miss seeing them and hearing about their day. Add me on facebook!

Skill that makes you “the one”? I have a full on bar and theatre room. Guys love that.

To read the rest of suzanne’s answers go to: marshillonline.com

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? “Bueller” – Conner Thiessen