Mars Hill Newspaper Vol 19 Issue 11

MARS’ HILL

ACTS 17:19-20 ACTS 17:19-20

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VOLUME 19, ISSUE 6 VOLUME 19, ISSUE 11

GOD BENEATH THE MAGIC

DECEMBER 3, 2014 MARCH 25, 2015

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BAPTIZING THE IMAGINATION

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MARCH 25, 2015

FROM THE EDITOR

MARS’ HILL 7600 Glover Rd. Langley, BC V2Y 1Y1 604 513 2109 MARS’ HILL

Mars’ Hill is a student publication of Trinity Western University, floated with funds raised by the Student Association.

Mars’ Hill seeks to be a professional and relevant student publication, reflecting and challenging the TWU community, while intentionally addressing local, national and international issues.

MISSION TO MARS

The mission of Mars’ Hill, as the official student newspaper of Trinity Western University, is to inform and entertain its readers, cultivate awareness of issues concerning the TWU community and provide a forum for purposeful, constructive discussion among its members in accordance with the Community Covenant, Statement of Faith, and Core Values of the University.

EDITORIAL POLICY

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THE TEAM

PETER WOEKEL

managing editor

AMY GOERTZEN

visual editor

STEPHANIE REDEKOP

chief copy editor

COLTON MARTIN

layout editor

SIDSEL RICHMOND

illustration editor

ERIK DELANGE

web presence

REESE MARTIN

advertising & finance manager

Fantastical friends and where to find them

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tara GORMAN

For Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were creating through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

- Colossians 1:16-17 The world of the fantastical has always occupied a large part of my mind. My fondest childhood memories were often otherworldly. I existed in worlds where I could be a damsel in distress at one moment and her hero the next. These games lasted for such an extended period of time that I eventually developed characters so nuanced that even today I remember their quirks and flaws.

Our childhood imaginations are powerful and I often mourn the fact that I can no longer transport myself into an imaginary world with the same amount of clarity. Never again can I fully encompass a character and fully be that character like I had in my childhood, but rather, I remain more removed as I age.

At present, fantasy reveals itself through feelings. I connect to the emotional atmosphere of a song, scene, or character and seamlessly, I am placed behind the lens of that world. I resound deeply with aesthetics and sound and I mold my emotional responses to music and film to create a vast mental library of intricate fictional settings and personalities. My mind types out pages and pages of un-

finished screenplays, some macabre and others humorous, but the fact remains, I want to tell other people’s stories not mine.

However, despite my often grand escapades into the realm of fantasy, my imagination has another side that lingers much closer to home. Sometimes, I imagine that I am living in alternate realities where I look a particular way, lead a particular lifestyle, and have a particular group of friends – which mirrors my childhood games of pretend. The aspect that has changed, though, is that rather than dwelling in the absurd fairylands of my childhood or the fragmentary plots of my mental screenplays, these fantasies maintain a figment of possibility – they could happen, or could have happened, if I had played my cards differently.

I am the type of person who is constantly reassessing my past actions. If my actions produce unsatisfactory results or, God forbid, embarrassment, then I find myself obsessively imagining all possible alternatives. What could I have done differently? How could I have better presented myself ? How should I have dressed?

What could I have said?

I create a mental web of hypotheticals, where each choice that I didn’t make creates a more agreeable future. This tangled way of thinking can sometimes last for weeks and in one instance, it has taken more than a year to finally accept the cringe-worthy outcome of my past choices.

My imagination runs wild to the point that I am paralyzed by these fantasies. I wish to live in a world where I didn’t fail, where I pursued something to its furthest extent, rather than quitting halfway through. The resultant sense

of loss for something that never even occurred is crippling.

This habit of always imagining something else, something better, has deterred me from truly appreciating the beauty and power of reality. There are times where I become annoyed with the thought that Christians reside on some separate temporal plain of existence. We are always yearning for something beyond ourselves.

Fantasy is a way in which humans are able to encounter the unencounterable and the inexplicable. Transformation, a word often used by our community, operates in a similar fashion. We as Christians are meant to have faith in the transformational abilities of God. Thus, faith itself is a type of fantasy.

One of my major personal failures is that I often do not exist in the present. I remove myself from reality when things are not going my way, when I am scared or overwhelmed. Thus, the thought of living a faith that is not rooted in reality is not only tiring, but also terrifying.

Then I remember that God is the ultimate author, creating reality out of nothingness. The fact that God used his own imagination to create our unfathomable reality is infinitely comforting to me. My reality is the result of His fantasy and my own ability to fantasize outside the realm of possibility provides a immeasurable connection to my creator.

God exists in our imaginations.

It just so happens that our imaginations are very real parts of us.

My imagination connects me to my reality, because rather than striving for better, I can take comfort in the fact that my flaws and failures are all part of a greater fantasical design.

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.

SENIOR EDITORS Tara Gorman Editor-in-Chief

Peter Woekel

Managing Editor

Amy Goertzen Visual Editor

SECTION EDITORS Sarah Grochowski News

Ellen Graham Academy

Mackenzie Cameron Arts & Culture

Connor Ewert Sports

Trevor McMahan Humour

PRODUCTION STAFF Sidsel Richmond Illustration Editor

Colton Martin Layout Editor

Stephanie Redekop Chief Copy Editor

OPERATIONS Reese Martin

Advertising & Finance Manager

Erik deLange Web Presence

CONTRIBUTORS Ashton Winslow Graham Boldt Erik deLange Mady Gallard Andrew Richmond Sidsel Richmond Jordan Schroeder Shauna Supeen Tunji Taylor-Lewis Cam Thiessen Leanne Witten

SPECIAL THANKS

Kat Grabowski for the team photos Josh Boldt for the feature illustration

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Loranne Brown

www.marshillonline.com This issue brought to you by Sidsel’s illustrations and Tara’s pet unicorn.

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Danny Grant’s beard. Who knows what creatures are there.” – Josh Randhawa

MARCH 25, 2015

NEWS

SARAH GROCHOWSKI

Bill C-51: sensationalism drowns out debate

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jordan

SCHROEDER

“The Bill stops any kind of citizen journalism.”

“Peaceful protests will become illegal.”

“It labels specifically indigenous groups.”

“I heard it’s gonna affect people trying to get natural medicines.”

“A demonstration like this could very easily be seen as terrorism.”

These are actual quotes from protestors at a rally on Saturday, March 14th in Toronto regarding the government’s recently introduced legislation, bill C-51, entitled The Anti-terrorism Act. Bill C-51 makes changes to several acts, primarily the Criminal Code and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service [CSIS] Act, in an attempt to increase Canadian security after the recent increase of terrorism threats.

The bill increases CSIS’ powers to

survey Canadians and lowers the threshold for police to make preventative arrests. It further allows government departments to share information on Canadians with each other if it is important for Canadian security. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has justified the measures by stating that the most important duty of the state is the protection and security of citizens.

These measures are undoubtedly controversial, but unfortunately the sensationalism surrounding the bill has drowned out intelligent debate both for and against the bill. Almost as soon as the text of the bill was released, people began making sensationalist arguments regarding C-51—from both the political left and the right.

Those against the bill warned that Canada is sliding inevitably into a totalitarian state. They stated that C-51 will allow the government to brand anti-pipeline groups as terrorists because the bill states that interference with critical infrastructure can be considered a security threat to Canada. Many have also

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said that the Canada Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) will be given too many new powers without any oversight, leading to violations of Canadians’ constitutional rights.

Other controversial elements of the bill include the prohibition of promoting terrorism. Some have said that this prohibition is superfluous, arguing that the criminal code already criminalizes contributing to terrorist activity and instructing others to carry out terrorist activity. Finally, as mentioned above, the bill lowers the threshold of evidence required for police to make a preventative arrest for someone who they believe will commit a terrorist attack. Bill C-51 changes the threshold to the police believing that a person is likely to commit a terrorist attack rather than being certain, prompting some to claim that law abiding Canadians will be thrown into prison without trial or appeal to a judge.

The truth about

Alumni Update

C-51 is less exciting. This is not to say that it is not debatable, only that the sensationalism surrounding the Bill makes realistic dialogue and dissent more difficult. Although it says that interference with critical infrastructure can be considered a security threat, section 2 clearly states that the threats listed do not include “lawful advocacy, protest, dissent, and artistic expression.” CSIS’ powers to investigate Canadians will likewise be curtailed. The bill states that CSIS must apply for a warrant from a judge to survey Canadians, at which time they must demonstrate to the judge that the measure is proportional to the threat being addressed, and that other measures have been considered (S. 42). The powers of preventative arrest in the bill are also subject to judicial review.

Every surrender of our cherished rights and freedoms should always be subject to vigorous debate. Unfortunately, the sen-

sarah.grochowski@mytwu.ca

sationalism surrounding the bill has drowned out the intelligent dissent that legitimately exists regarding the bill. For example, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, who supports the bill overall, has argued that CSIS’ new powers should come with Parliamentary oversight. This is an idea that merits consideration. Some would say that oversight from our elected representatives is essential for this agency, while others would say that oversight should be left to our independent, nonpartisan judiciary, as the bill currently prescribes. Although this debate (and others like it) makes for a less interesting headline than saying that Harper is turning Canada into Nazi Germany, responsible and realistic debate often makes for less interesting news than politically charged rhetoric cascading through our TV stations and Facebook newsfeeds.

A Q&A with alumna Melissa Reed TWU Education: I completed a BA with a major in History and a minor in English.

Occupation: Currently I am the Member Engagement Coordinator in the Alumni Office, as well as a mom to two amazing kids. Previously, I worked as the Associate Director in the Undergraduate and then the Graduate Admissions Offices.

Why did you come to Trinity?: My dad and two of my uncles attended TWU and often told me stories about

their experience. It seemed like the thing to do. I also liked that I could earn my BA at a fully accredited university while at the same time taking courses in Biblical studies and being involved in a Christian community.

What’s new in your life? My new job! My job is to engage alums in ways that are meaningful to them.

My role within the Alumni Office/Office of Community Engagement is to care for alumni and serve as a primary point of contact

between individual alumni, the alumni community, and the university.

How have you benefited from a liberal arts education?

My advisor, Dr. Burkinshaw, often told me that a liberal arts education isn’t just about learning, it’s about learning how to learn. I feel like because of my education at TWU, I can quickly pick up new things because I already know how to learn.

What advice do you have for all students? Your four years will go by fast – soak up as much as you can.

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “The inside of the left leg of a clown’s pantaloons after wading through a swamp of puppies.” – Ashton

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MARCH 25, 2015

Graduate exhibit opens this month Trinity Western’s graduating students of SAMC’s art + design program are scheduled to open their graduate exhibition at Langley Centennial Museum later this month. Beginning on March 31st, Langley residents will be able to witness the showcase entitled, “Transpose,” which will encompass the four years of learning, challenges, and growth these art students have undergone.

According to the grad class in their exhibit statement, Transpose, “suggests a shift in the ways we think about the world. We abandon our underlying assumption, taking up instead an attitude of curiosity and speculation. We explore new ways of looking at our fears, our emotions, and our memories. Relying on the creation of new objects in the form of drawings, paintings, and photographs, we strive to represent the intangible psychological and emotional quotients of our human natures.”

Students Chantal New, Katelyn Anderson, Meredith Radwanski, and Marissa Wagner, are the four graduating students that will have art up for display at the

museum. Chantal New’s collection of art delves its inspiration from the 1948 flood within the Fraser Valley and some pictures of the event in The Reach Gallery Museum archive. Using photo transfers, graphite, charcoal, and other artistic materials, she plans to demonstrate to viewers “the diverse attributes of water by juxtaposing its destructive powers with the pleasure of swimming.”

Other students, like Marissa Wagner, have sought to express the emotional outcome of living under strict rules and stressful times through her work with diversely colored paints and structures. Student Meredith Radwanski chose to use abstract photography as a means of exploring human relationships with natural beauty versus urban spaces, and what emotions derive from each. Regardless of your experience with or knowledge of art, the SAMC department of art + design invites you to out to support these young artists in viewing Transpose, their showcase of art.

The admission is free and it runs until April 25th. For more details, visit www.langleymuseum.org.

How I learned to love the pro-life club

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mady

GALLARD

A simple walk through campus would lead you to a startling display of pink and blue flags, representing the 250 pregnancies that will be terminated each day in Canada. The Community Covenant states that Trinity students will uphold the God-given worth of all persons from conception to death, and this is affirmed by the Pro-Life Club, which aims to protect who they see as the most vulnerable Canadian citizens: the unborn. A recent advocacy movement by the Pro-Life Club point-

ed students to www.weneedalaw. ca, which correctly notes that there is no legislation barring any form of abortion within Canada: restrictions on abortion were struck down in the leading Supreme Court case, R. v. Morgentaler, in 1988. The campus ProLife Club, along with pro-life advocacy groups across the country, believes that this vacuum of legislation must be addressed in order to protect unborn children.

On the other hand, 45% of Canadians believe abortion should be permitted in certain circumstances, and 49% believe it should be permitted in all situations. For pro-choice advocates, whether they are feminists, sexual assault survivors, or simply individual rights advocates, the issue also becomes protecting the vulner-

able: in this case, women who, as they see it, deserve a right to choose when to carry a pregnancy to term. At Trinity, where we are called to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile these viewpoints: is it possible for these two groups to love each other and coexist peacefully?

Studies have shown that in conflict resolution, voicing struggles and concerns in order to move beyond feelings of powerlessness and anger builds strong and healthy relationships. It is incredibly easy to view the side you are not standing on in emotional issues such as abortion as wrong and misguided, and consequently, to write them off completely. Yet Luke 6:32 asks, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that

to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” I realized that I had, in not looking for the common ground, been only loving those who love me: I had viewed the Pro-Life Club with anger, hurt, and resentment.

As one of the aforementioned feminists and a sexual assault survivor, in learning to love the prolife club, it is incredibly useful to look at the issue from both a moral and a legal perspective.

A moralistic standpoint on abortion would argue that abstaining from premarital sex is the correct way to prevent unborn children from losing their lives. A legalistic standpoint, in contrast, would view the provision of birth control as preventing women from having unwanted pregnancies.

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Placenta.” – Andrew Perrin

In both scenarios, however, the end result is the same: less abortions are performed. Suddenly, it becomes apparent: both groups want less unwanted pregnancies, because both groups want less abortion: very significant common ground has been established.

Learning to love the Pro-Life Club was not an easy task. For the Pro-Life Club, I’m sure learning to love people like me is not straightforward either. When we establish common ground, however, it becomes incredibly difficult to view each other as enemies. Both the Pro-Life Club and people like me want the same thing: for Trinity Western students to protect the vulnerable.

And, ultimately, it is only if we see eye to eye that that will ever happen.

MARCH 25, 2015

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“To pimp a butterfly”

a cultural response to increasing racial tensions

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tunji

TAYLOR-LEWIS

Kendrick Lamar’s new album, To Pimp a Butterfly, has been released, and it has a divine message for all of us living in Westernized society. By perfectly articulating the extreme pressures and depression that come from being a black celebrity from the projects, Lamar has managed to tap into the bigger issue that haunts each and every one of us. Evil, in whatever form we see it, has placed lies in all of our minds, telling us of our diminished value as people. Now it is imperative that each of us

does the work to find out the lies we have been living by, identify them as such, and proceed to live a life of happiness and freedom from our former slavery.

Now, I understand that some of you reading this will have a hard time believing that such a spiritual message can come from a hip-hop artist other than Lecrae, however throughout his album, Lamar frequently mentions how he had to deal with deceptions from the devil himself.

Consider the song “For Sale?” where Lamar refers to Satan (Lucifer) as “Lucy.” Here, Lamar likens Lucifer to a temptress who is seducing him into making money, idolizing fame, objectifying women, and seeing possessions as his life’s most motivating factor.

“Lucy” even goes so far as to ask Lamar to be loyal to her rather than his Father (Lamar grew up without his biological father).

Young black men in the projects grow up with lies from “Lucy” – and through the mouth of Uncle Sam – that they can only be successful by means of entertainment or athletics. In the song “Wesley’s Theory,” young Lamar once believed “Lucy” and began to fantasize about living the life of a famous rapper: “When I get signed [to a record deal], homie I’mma act a fool. Hit the dance floor, strobe lights in the room. Snatch your little secretary bitch for the homies. Blue eyed devil with a fat ass smoking.” (Kendrick Lamar, “Wesley’s Theory”) Again, we find the devil imag-

ery where Lamar refers to how the many women that come with the hip-hop lifestyle often bring trouble, never happiness. As a matter of fact, all this lifestyle did for Lamar was run him into an up close and personal version of the same problem he dealt with when he lived in the projects: the fact that the world saw him as a black rapper whose value is based on how well he can sexualize women and make money.

This theme runs through most of the album until we finally come to track 15, a song called “i.” This song is Lamar’s call to his people and to all people to rise above how the Devil, society, and American culture has defined them, and to love who God made you to be. In the words of Lamar himself:

Netanyahu Returns to Power in Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rightwing Likud Party, who have governed Israel for the past six years, won the nation’s recent election. The results surprised citizens worldwide, as it was a tight race between him and Yitzhak Herzog that was said to threaten Netanyahu’s role in legislation. Netanyahu was voted into 30 parliamentary seats compared to Herzog’s 24. Not much worldwide celebration has occurred; U.S. President Obama even expressed that he is “deeply concerned by the use of divisive rhetoric in Israel that ought to undermine Arab-Israeli citizens.”

Vatican Adopts HIV Treatment Model Developed in B.C.

Vancouver-based doctor Julio Montaner has made it his quest to annihilate HIV/AIDS all over the world. He met with Vatican officials last week, shaking the Pope’s hand with intentions of starting up an extensive program (TasP) using the treatment he developed in B.C. His concepts include the early diagnosis of HIV and the treatment of the virus with three drugs that suppresses it to the point of minimized detectability. Dr. Montaner said that TasP is 100% effective and had led to a 67% decline in new diagnoses from 1997-2013 in B.C.

“I done been through a whole lot Trial, tribulation, but I know God The Devil wanna put me in a bow tie Pray that the holy water don’t go dry As I look around me So many motherfuckers wanna down me But an enemigo never drown me In front of a dirty double-mirror they found me I love myself…”

Kendrick’s message to the ghetto applies to everyone. The moment we stop believing the lies and start loving our true selves is the moment we will stop hating and harming one another.

TWU Appoints New Dean of Faculty B.C. to Raise Minimum Wage

Beginning in September, British Columbia will end a three-year freeze upon minimum wage with a 2% increase to $10.45/hr. The reality is that the extra 20 cents will give the province’s lowest income earners enough for a cup of coffee after their eight-hour work shifts. Jobs Minister Shirley Bond claimed, “We want to protect the most vulnerable British Columbians in our province and we do want to deal with the issue of those who are struggling with their families.” Many have protested the Job Ministry’s approach by stating it will keep 6.4% of B.C.’s workforce below the poverty line.

U.S. Presbyterians Alter Definition of Marriage

The Presbyterian Church of the United States has now decided to define marriage as a “commitment between two people” instead of between “a man and a woman.” This amendment, which will take effect on June 21, non-explicitly includes gay couples. Not all Presbyterian members supported the decision, but the network majority of believers have acknowledged the reality that both same-sex and opposite-gender couples have been living in relationships that demonstrate mutual love and faithfulness.

Effective beginning August 15, Trinity Western’s new Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences will be the appointed Myron A. Penner, Ph.D. As an associate professor of Philosophy with a decade of experience at TWU, Penner is a valued scholar and staff member at our university.

About the position, Penner said, “In many ways the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is the heartbeat of Trinity Western as a Christian liberal arts and sciences university.”

Crisis in Yemen Due to ISIS Mosque Attacks

A suicide bombing in Yemen’s capital has recently left 137 dead and 345 injured. It happened on Friday during noon prayers at the Badr and al-Hashoosh mosques. A Yemeni branch of ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was a “blessed operation.” This represents the first officiallyclaimed ISIS attack in Yemen. Mohammad Al-ansi, a witness to the bombing, reports that “the heads, legs, and arms of the dead people were scattered on the floor of theGREGORY REESE mosque… blood is flowing like a river.”

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Setting does not matter. Every dream with me in it is weird.” - Mikey Yuen

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MARCH 25, 2015

ACADEMY

ELLEN GRAHAM

ellen.graham@mytwu.ca

God beneath the magic Christ figures and sacrificial love in secular stories

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ellen GRAHAM

I read the Harry Potter books for the first time when I was very young. Or rather, my mom read them to me. Gradually, over the years of my childhood, my mom, my brother, and I would curl up on the couch or crowd onto my parents’ bed to hear the latest installment of Rowling’s adventures. In many ways, I grew up with Harry Potter. Those bedtime expeditions into a world of magic are some of my most cherished childhood memories. Because of this, it always frustrates me when people condemn Harry Potter. Many Christian parents object to the portrayal of witchcraft and the occult in the books. Deuteronomy 18:912 states that whoever practices sorcery is “detestable to the Lord.” Because of its (emphasis on fictitious) use of magic, Harry Potter has been targeted as nothing short of Satan worship.

I think what a lot of people don’t understand, though, is that

beneath the spells and the witchcraft that constitute the basic plot line, Harry Potter features blatantly Christian themes. In the first book, we find out that the evil wizard Voldemort killed Harry’s parents when Harry was a baby and that Harry somehow survived. As the book progresses, we learn that Harry’s mother died trying to protect him and that this act of sacrifice is what saved Harry from Voldemort’s wrath. Her sacrificial love for Harry cast an ancient magic on him, which protects him from Voldemort. This beautiful act of love very obviously parallels Christ’s sacrifice for humanity.

Lily Potter’s sacrificial death only scratches the surface of the Christian themes at the heart of the books.

Again and again, Harry not only symbolizes a fallen humanity who is in need of salvation, but in the end also becomes a Christ figure himself, whose love protects others and who (spoiler alert!) dies and is resurrected.

Because of this, I cannot comprehend why parents are unwilling to get past the storyline to discover the beautiful message beneath.

Outside of Christian circles, the Harry Potter series is an interesting development in the modern secular era as well. For centuries, literature featured a common theme of Christian subject matter because for centuries, the Western world was Christian.

From the medieval era until around the nineteenth century, you would be hard-pressed not to run into a faithfilled sonnet or a novel exploring the failings of organized religion. Today it seems that society has moved away from Christianity. Yet, as seen in J.K. Rowling’s books, Christian ideas and dilemmas are still being explored, in some cases even subconsciously.

The fantasy genre has become a venue in which root Christian ideas are discussed, such as good and evil, our place in the world, choosing faith over reason, and sacrificial love. It is a safe, non-religious way for the world to investigate Christian ideas that for so long have been the backbone of Western culture.

The theme of a Christ-figure’s sacrificial love, as seen in Harry Potter, is one of these ideas that crops up over and over in recent literature and movies. We can see examples of this selfless love in Aslan’s sacrifice, or Katniss volunteering to risk her life so that her sister can live.

We see it in Superman being sent to earth and saving humanity, and in The Lion King when Simba must return to save his people. Armageddon, The Matrix, Guardians of the Galaxy – all these stories provide a platform on which to explore, from a secular standpoint, this idea of a saviour whose sacrificial love brings redemption.

So what does the prominence of this plot point say about hu-

Unconcious creativity

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ellen GRAHAM

Have you ever realized how truly fascinating dreams are? I mean they seem so natural and commonplace because we’re used to them; but really, they’re like tiny little nonsensical plays being performed nightly in our heads. And they are completely unpreventable. Maybe you can gain control, but you can never stop yourself from

dreaming.

Dreams have important things to say. They aren’t just random mishmashes of memory. It is your subconscious mind working through thoughts, emotions and feelings from the day, looking them over and testing them out.

To me, it is simply amazing that we have this capacity to transcend rationality. Dreams can be so wildly outrageous and yet, while we’re dreaming, we just

accept the madness. Of course that purple giraffe is my uncle, what else would he be? Naturally school buses can drive on the moon, didn’t you know that?

I think this is crucial. So much of our lives are spent trying to be rational, to analyze, to think practically. Especially as university students, we have to adopt formal tones and start thinking about our futures.

We are obligated to leave behind the

imaginative chaos of childhood.

Yet, even the most dignified businessperson casts away all sensible thought in dreaming and enters a world in which anything is possible. Dreams are where our childlike imagination can run wild.

I think this is so important.

Even if you don’t remember them, everyone dreams. This means that our creativity is always at play, no

manity? I believe it suggests that the desire for salvation is an intrinsic aspect of the human condition. The allconsuming desire for redemption in a messed-up, broken world is so deeply rooted in us that I think many people don’t even realize they desire it. Part of the ingrained quality of this desire is in Christianity’s position of power in past years. Yet I think our yearning for rescue is also just a natural condition of being human.

Secular literature and movies today allow our culture to explore Christian themes and ideas. The narratives search for answers in unconventional ways, and in their searching, stumble upon truth. The love portrayed in stories such as Harry Potter speaks to something that the secular is searching for.

matter who you are or how old you get. Dreams are inescapable and I think at some level, they are essential. We need a setting to let our inventive side frolic.

Dreams are truly an incredible experience. When we dream, we become like children, receptive to new ideas and ready for adventure. In this way, we experience transcendence that I believe is necessary to counteract our normal adult lives. In this way, it amazes me that dreams are seen as so commonplace.

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “In a play, but knowing you’re in a play. Basically acting in your dreams” – Rachel Zmak

MARCH 25, 2015

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I AM CAM

Confessions of an agnostic Christian

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cam THIESSEN

As a child, I was taught Christianity as though it is an indisputable truth. As I grew older, I quickly realized this is not the case. The things I thought were absolute fact became questionable dogma. The conservative positions, which were without a doubt “proper,” became vague. And I fell deeper and deeper into doubt. At this point, many people end the story. This is how they lost their faith. But this is the beginning of my story of becoming an agnostic Christian, and indirectly, the beginning of my choice to pursue Biblical scholarship (but I digress, as that is a different topic altogether).

To clarify, my definition of an agnostic Christian is as follows: a person who believes in God and practices Christianity, but admits the limits to human acquisition of knowledge of the divine, recognizing that no one can be truly certain of the existence of God. Being an agnostic Christian forces me to be vulnerable, causes me to engage more with questions, and pushes me to find comfort in uncertainty.

There is beauty in the paradox of agnostic Christianity. To be agnostic is to admit that we do not have access to the knowledge of whether or not there is a divine being or any spiritual power at work in the universe. In applying agnosticism to my Christian faith, I recognize that despite my own personal convictions, I do not and cannot know that there is a God, nor can I know that Christianity is the only correct path. I would sincerely challenge every Christian to undertake this exercise in their own faith. If Christianity is truly about faith and belief, why should we be afraid of not knowing? We should embrace the questions and explore the world and the Scriptures for answers. If we intend to be responsible believers, we owe it to the world and to ourselves to allow our faith to be questionable rather than concrete. If I can approach an atheist, a Muslim, a Buddhist, or even a Satanist with a humble introspection of my own beliefs, then I can

actually engage in dialogue. But if I cannot admit that I could be wrong, then I present myself as arrogant and stubborn. If my faith is a stronghold, how can I know its strength without allowing it to be bombarded?

As an agnostic Christian, you recognize that religion is not bad; in fact, it is a very helpful way in which we can remain committed to engaging in our relationship with God. But you also recognize that religion in itself is man-made. Consider the following Scripture from Mark 14:58: “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with [human] hands, and in three days I will build another made without [human] hands.’” Now imagine how the Jews would have taken this. Firstly, it is implied here that

Jesus’ words are not taken as analogy and he is labelled as an extremist (this statement of course being used as evidence for his heresy). Secondly, the implications, whether literal or metaphorical, are highly provocative.

The temple, the first edition of which had been utterly destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, was the epicenter of Jewish ritual during Second Temple Judaism.

For Jesus to suggest himself to be the cause of its second destruction, without getting into further details, would have been utterly offensive. In this way, the religion of Christianity—the beliefs, the doctrines, and the orthodoxy— comprise our man-made temple.

The new creation, which comes about through Christ, is the embodiment of the person of Christ

in the life of a believer and the decision to learn about his life and works and to pursue becoming like him.

As Christians, we are often taught what Christ was, or what he means to Christians on a theological level. We are taught that he died and rose for us, and that we are to tell others about the salvation that comes about through him. But I wonder how comprehensive a picture we actually have of who Jesus was, or what it means to actually live like him. As children we were taught about correct beliefs before we were taught about the person of Jesus. If we are not careful, Jesus becomes a concept and not a person. Christ as a one-dimensional concept, although easy to understand as a child, will not continue

to inspire us. Christ as a relatable-yet-perfect human will. If we cannot see the beauty of the incarnation through the dynamic human person of Christ, our faith will become inevitably stagnant and we will remain immature, still needing simple teaching as a child needs milk, unprepared to move on to solid food.

Ideas and concepts will and should always come under some amount of scrutiny, and if they cannot stand, they are probably bad ideas. In practicing an agnostic Christian faith, I maintain one thing: the person of Christ—his actions, his impact, his story— give me a basis upon which to live my life. He remains constant because I know how real his effect on humanity has been. Christ turned the Jewish religion on its head. Jesus reinterpreted Scripture, reapplied prophecy, and in turn, created something new, built upon Jewish tradition but refurbished, reimagined. Jesus as a theological concept becomes less important to me than the character we read about in the Gospels, because it is not the concept but the person who inspires my actions. I can then question conventional doctrine and theology while maintaining the inspiration of Christ as my teacher and my guide. I can allow his words and his actions to inspire me to love and serve the people around me.

Of course it doesn’t end there. I do have beliefs, I do adhere to doctrines, and I do make judgments of morality based on interpretations of Scripture. But I do these things not because I know that Christianity is true, but because I believe it to be. This subtle difference is crucial. Belief is not knowledge, nor does it need to be. In the same way that a scientific theory will always remain in disprovable state, so our faith should always remain in a state of belief under scrutiny, accepting it and applying it to a system by which we live, but never claiming absolute knowledge. In the wise words of C.S. Lewis, “I believe in Christianity like I believe the sun has risen, not because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.” I believe in Christianity, not because I know it to be true, but because in it, I find my identity, and through it, I learn to see the world as Christ saw it.

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “The inside of my brain…like the physical inside of my brain.” – Mackenzie Johnson

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MARCH 25, 2015

F i c t i o n sp e a k s

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leanne WITTEN

Fiction provides a fascinating lens through which to view culture.

Popular teen literature such as the Twilight Saga, Divergent, or The Hunger Games frequently dwell on themes such as the underdog rising above, or center around one character who is different, unique, or somehow special. These themes demonstrate how much people gravitate towards themes that allow them to come out of the or-

dinariness of their own lives and imagine a life that is greater, more exhilarating and more epic. Fiction is a reflection of our culture, both in what kind of novels people want to read and what authors think our culture looks like today.

Fiction reflects the direction in which a culture may be headed, a message that can be both enlightening and alarming.

One example of this more alarming side of fiction is Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake.

In Oryx and Crake, a new race of robot-like humans has been created, known as the Crakers.

The Crakers are creatures who are supposed to live happily free

from hunger, disease, and wars.

However, the Crakers are also free from imagination, love, faith, and many other important things.

Another disturbing example is A Brave New World. In this novel, Huxley creates a futuristic world in which each person is placed into a category, whether Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, or Epsilon.

They live for pleasure, blissfully content with their role in life, but entirely unable to think for themselves. They are free from hunger, pain, and disease, but like the Crakers, they also live in ignorance of all concepts of good. One character named the Savage, who sees the trouble with this way

of living, at last cries out, “But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness.

I want sin.” Another character, Mustapha Mond, replies, “You’re claiming the right to be unhappy.” The Savage replies, “All right then… I’m claiming the right to be unhappy.” As odd as this claim seems, it rings true; an element of risk is necessary for humanity to experience what is truly good.

When it comes down to it, living an existence free of pain, struggle, or hardship is not really the blissful ideal it promises. Life is full of tough things. Yet neither wishful thinking nor bleak hope-

lessness over the troubles of the world fully contain the answer to the question we all ask ourselves: what gives my life meaning?

Books such as these search for this answer and reflect the culture that is seeking it. They speak with a foreboding voice, saying that our world is progressing towards a state of man-made safety and security which in fact eliminates our very humanness, including that desire for meaning and significance. Yet they also promise hope in our search for meaning and our desire for significance.

The beautiful awkwardness

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ellen GRAHAM

Picture this: you’re at a party and you don’t really know anyone there. You came with some friends, but you’ve lost them in the crowd. You’re faced with a flood of strangers and you have two choices; either you smile and strike up an awkward yelling conversation, or you whip out your phone and pretend to text someone.

Nine out of ten times, I choose the latter. And this scenario is

only one of many possible venues for this to happen in. Maybe I’m standing around waiting for someone, or I’m trying to avoid eye contact with that person-Imet-one-time-and-now-nevertalk-to. Whatever it is, as soon as I start to feel awkward or out of place, I reach for my phone. I have save face and look busy, in case someone is watching me and judging my awkwardness.

What I don’t understand is, why do I care so much? So what if I look awkward occasionally?

It happens to everyone. At some point in this life you’re bound to wave at someone who doesn’t wave back or to trip and fall on someone. Granted, some people are more prone to these things

than others, but everyone gets embarrassed sometimes.

I would even go so far as to say that awkward situations are good for you. I mean, there has to be a reason for all the awkwardness. I must be learning some sort of lesson. Maybe it’s how to cope with these situations so that in the future I don’t have to feel awkward.

Maybe it’s that my introversion does not dictate my ability to socialize. But as I seek escape in my iPhone screen more and more, I am missing these essential lessons.

Our generation’s tendency is to escape from real life into our phone screens. When we do this, we are missing important lessons, and we are also missing the world

around us. So often, I am looking down at my phone as I walk to class because I see someone walking toward me and I don’t know where we stand on the wave/don’t wave scale. When I do this, not only am I at risk of serious injury by walking into a tree or something, I am also missing the beautiful cherry blossoms blooming from said tree, and the brilliant sunny day that highlights them.

I struggle with this almostsecond-nature impulse to use my phone as a security blanket. I am this paradox where I am at once completely freaked out by how much control technology has over me, and at the same time completely immersed in the technological lifestyle. I worry about the

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Scott Werdal’s bathroom.” – Brian Yoon

next generation, one that will have been wholly submerged in flashing screens all their lives. How will they cope with life and what will that coping look like? Part of me wants to toss my phone in the dumpster and go and live with some deer. But I know that’s not realistic. Obviously technology has its advantages and in this society, you need to be comfortable using it. So what can we do?

I think a big thing is to not be afraid of awkwardness. In other words, don’t be afraid of life. Because life is awkward, but life is also beautiful. Embrace the beautiful awkwardness, friends, because your phone will never – nor should it ever – fully protect you from life.

MARCH 25, 2015

9

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What’s the weirdest setting for a dream? “In an alien’s stomach after being eaten – I’ve had this dream.” – Katrina Reynolds

10

MARCH 25, 2015

Me, Mallorns, The emotional and The Lord

by Graham Boldt I was first introduced to Frodo and the Ring when I was a kid. Picture, if you will, a young boy with a shock of blonde curls–kind of a masculine Shirley Temple with sweaty palms.

Next, imagine a doe-eyed little boy and you have my brother, Josh. Finally, tuck these two young boys into bed, preparing them for a bedtime story by dim lamplight. Our dad would enter, pick up the worn copy of The Fellowship of the Ring, and whisk us away to the beautiful countryside of the Shire.

Story and waking dream would inevitably merge as we finally . . . finally . . . drifted off to sleep.

I inherited these stories as I grew up and they came to define my own adventures, turning the neighboring Rockies into the Misty Mountains; my basement into Moria; the graveyard near my house into the Barrow Downs. They did not teach me to reason–as books tend to do–but, rather, how to feel. How one was to experience sorrow, and furthermore, how one was to appreciate light.

Tolkien’s novel The Lord of the Rings has become nearly synonymous with the term Fantasy Literature in our North American culture, the fictional landscapes of Middle Earth becoming nearly as familiar as our local British Columbian

topography. The heroics of Aragorn, wisdom of Gandalf, and loyalty of Sam have made Tolkien’s work a cherished piece of literature, second only to the Bible in number of volumes sold. Furthermore, these distinguishable characters have become our examples for the fantastic heroic-types: we have the dusky Ranger/man-type, the Istarí/wizard-type, the relatable developing-hero-type, and so on.

When reading fantasy literature, we have been programmed to look for these character scaffolds and, as in the works of Christopher Paolini, author of the Eragon series, we readily find them. Why has this single novel become such a cultural phenomenon? What elements make Tolkien’s work so very relatable? There certainly is an air of recognition when reading The Lord of the Rings–a simmering tone of voice or an image that feels remarkably familiar and invites us into the foreign, yet recognizable, world of Middle Earth.

As Tolkien described in an excited letter to a friend, this was the purpose of his life’s work: to create a relatable “body of connected legend” in lieu of an English set of mythologies.

“Take my hand!

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “3 feet to the left, 2 feet up.” – David Grypma

MARCH 25, 2015

and Mordor cultural landscape of of the Rings At this point, some might say, “Hey, Graham! You’re forgetting the Arthurian legends!” However, as Tolkien describes in the Preface to The Silmarillion, these were only connected to the “soil of Britain but not with the English” peoples themselves. Tolkien desired a greater coherence, something that felt “cool” and “clear” like Britain’s cultural climate. As a result, the peoples of Middle Earth share various similarities with the English, save perhaps for the ethereal elves who represent the “faeries” in Tolkien’s fairy tale. For example, the Rohirrim embody the old Celtic or Anglo-Saxon warrior spirit; whereas, the hobbits, fond of their ale and pipe tobacco, reflect the reclining Oxfordian lifestyle. Even the crumbling remains of the ancient civilization of Númenor bear a startling similarity to the decaying Roman structures found throughout Britain. As a result, the nations of Middle Earth evince a sense of historical authenticity while still integrating what Tolkien would term the “faerie” or the mystical. This was Tolkien’s intention: to create something “on the brink of fairy-tale and history,” something with which the layman could feel an intimate connection while still being swept away into the land of fantasy.

Although written specifically for the English, this sense of familiarity includes many cultures, including that of North America. As a nation born out of British imperialism, it makes sense that we can relate to the traditions of our mother nation; however, it is the intimacy–the humanity–of Tolkien’s characters that integrates the noncommonwealth nations as well. One does not have to actively participate in “second breakfast” or “elevenses” to understand the desire for good food and wholesome company. Nor does one have to carry a sword to understand the inherent notions of valor or the necessity for courage. Tolkien offers his readers a glimpse into everyday humanity within the context of the fantastic. Put more simply, the people of Middle Earth are real-life people confronted with wonderful, magical, and sometimes terrible situations. They operate as our guides when we wish to be whisked away but fear to lose touch with reality. Through the down-to-earth (or under-the-earth) quality of the hobbits, one may follow along on the paths to Mordor unimpeded by alienation. To a boy of nine, a hobbit’s hand looks much the same as his own: pudgy, soft, and more than a little sweaty.

Don’t you let go. Don’t let go . . . reach.”

-Samwise Gamgee Art by Josh Boldt What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Trailblazing through Reese Martin’s chest hair.” – Matt Rubuliak

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MARCH 25, 2015

CREATIVE

inspired by

[spaces]

A cruel angel’s thesis Norman’s Journal Entry dated: March 3 I have always believed that any two people in the world, regardless of differences in personality, appearance, social status—perhaps in time even gender will make this list— could possibly fall in love, provided favorable conditions and proximity. Anybody could fall in love with anybody. I have always been proud of this idea, as one is proud to uphold an idea that refutes a popular myth of the day—such as the myth that lovers are star-crossed, or meant for each other.

I have realized something. The myth of meant for each other is not to affirm couples who are together, but to assure those who fall apart. Two people together in love do not need to believe that they are meant for each other— either way, they still have each other. In fact, it is more fun for couples to imagine that they are not meant for one another—what is more romantic than defying

fate? But when they break up and suffer the swell of loneliness and regret over what could have been—this is when they each need to believe they were not meant to be together. In fact, they were meant to not be together, they convince themselves.

Do I believe that Olivia and I were not meant for each other? I think that this question does not even pertain to us—she was only an object in a game for me, and now the game is over. I lost, but as usual, nobody else won either.

But then, why would I have had all these insights into the nature of love, if I never felt anything for her . . . ?

Olivia met with me three days ago—in the Atrium, when it was early and nobody else was around.

It had been nearly two weeks since I had spoken to her—the evening before she sent an email saying that she would like to talk, with a place and a time. I replied with a simple yes. The Atrium, of all places! When one visualizes a breakup, one ironically imagines it taking place in a romantic setting,

even though a romantic setting is the least tolerable place to end a relationship.

I arrived there before she did, bringing along with me no expectations. I had given no thought to our impending rendezvous the evening before, and I was not wishful for any particular outcome. I knew, of course, that it was over. For me, our relationship—the game— ended the moment that Chris spoiled it, revealing to Olivia my true intentions. But even when that happened I was not too regretful—I can no longer suffer that kind of pain or loss. That is, after all, the purpose of playing at a relationship as if it was a game.

She arrived. Before she spoke, she inspected me with disguised curiosity, probably wondering how I had fared since our separation. Olivia looked simply like a tired version of herself.

She wished me good morning. I wished her good morning. She asked me how I was doing. I said I was okay. I asked her how she was doing. She sighed quietly, but

not for effect.

She told me that she had thought a lot about our relationship while we were apart, and that she felt it would be best if we separated now, quietly and cleanly. No discussion, no reflection—no expectation to embarrass myself by admitting to anything. She probably felt that she was being merciful. Her face was resolutely calm, as if her emotions had long-since resigned to a decision she had made up already in her mind.

She then fell silent, and looked at me to reply—as if my reply would have bearing on anything.

I swallowed. For the first time in our relationship, I felt an emotion stir towards her, one that had not been merely improvised or selfwilled for the sake of keeping up a façade. I had only one thing to say.

“Is this happening”—I winced at my wording—“because . . . I am not Christian?” I asked.

She hardly flinched at my question—her eyebrows might have arched slightly. “No,” she said. “This is happening because you lied.”

I paused. There was a followup question I wanted to ask, but I could not bring myself to do so.

I merely nodded. I told her that I had nothing else to say, and she stood up and left. The poet in me would like to say that I never saw her again, but I share a class with her and since we broke up I have also seen her twice in the cafeteria, bantering and laughing alongside her friends. Here is one annoying consequence of dating at a small university: you can never distance yourself from any classmate to the extent that he or she seems to no longer exist in your life.

So it is over. I wish I had more to say that was not mere reflection. Perhaps if I had made an honest effort to keep her, to justify and explain myself, it would have ended differently . . . I am a very good liar, after all.

But ultimately, what would have been the point? Any two people in the world can end up together, I remind myself—what have I really lost in losing her?

Visit www.marshillonline.com/sections/creative/ to read the previous chapters of A Cruel Angel’s Thesis to get caught up in this tale of faith, romance, and heresy!

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Inside your roomate’s eyeball.” – Tristan Weiss

ARTS & CULTURE

Nothing can be changed

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erik deLANGE

What is it about Sufjan Stevens that continues to resonate with us on such a deep level? Stevens lovers come from all different religious and personal backgrounds, and it makes sense considering the way he weaves his religious imagery and deeply felt emotions together in such a beautiful and artistic way. It’s clear from the very start of the forthcoming Carrie & Lowell that the Detroitborn musician has no agenda beyond sharing honest, authentic, life experience in beautiful and profoundly simple ways.

T h e fantastical exploration of consciousness and subjectivity alongside deep Christian imagery has always been pervasive in his work, and it reaches its apex with Carrie & Lowell. The depth of sadness and confusion on this album makes his earlier songs of loss such as “Casimir Pulaski Day” seem almost trite in comparison. But rather than negate the past, this kind of heavy beauty retroactively gives meaning to even his more obscure and esoteric work.

And it’s clear he has not given

up on his faith. In fact, the abundance of Biblical references seem to indicate that the lens of Christianity is in fact his most promi-

nent w a y of dealing with this deep darkness. “Jesus I need you, be near, come shield me/From fossils that fall on my head,” he sings with deep sincerity, “There’s only a shadow of me; in a manner of speaking, I’m dead.” There is neither a full submission to despair nor a full realization of deep transcendence and peace, but rather a very human tension between beauty and darkness, goodness and evil, truth and lies.

In addition to being his most profound, it’s also his most personal. Stevens has been very open in recent interviews about his

MARCH 25, 2015

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MACKENZIE CAMERON

mackenzie.cameron@mytwu.ca

strained relationship with his mother and the difficulties resulting from her struggles with mental illness and substance abuse. The references to Oregon, reflecting on his summers spent in Eugene with his mom, ought to stir up the PNW lover inside us all. If the album were any less serious and sublime, we might consider this album to be a follow up to the 50 states project, perhaps a Hello, from Oregon – but the album is too weighty, resonant, and profoundly simple to call it anything other than Carrie & Lowell.

His last album was the maximalist Age of Adz and he has also flexed his musical muscles in the past with grand symphonies, but the heart of Carrie & Lowell is simplicity: a beautiful man with a guitar and a few haunting lyrics. “Nothing can be changed,” he sings on the track “Should Have Known Better,” and it’s a testament to how everything, including suffering, is utterly meaningful.

Cosplay:

not just Halloween for grownups

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shauna SUPEENE

The last seven months have been filled with a dedicated work ethic that has all been aimed towards the completion of this project.

Paychecks have been entirely devoted to buying fabric, foam, paint, and other required materials for its completion. Finally, it is

finished. The other day I was able to proudly announce the completion of my cosplay to a friend while in line to pay for Sodexo. I was met with a blank stare.

“Cosplay” is a relatively new word. It’s a combination of the words “costume” and “role-play.”

The idea is that a person who is a fan of a particular fictional character emulates that in costume.

These costumes tend to be elaborate, good quality, and very meticulous in detail. Once a person has constructed the outfit, they play the part to match. Usually

cosplayers will alter the way they speak, move, and react to situations in a way that reflects the character they are trying to portray. Once all the preparations are complete, it’s time for display.

Usually this is at conventions.

The most popular one internationally is San Diego Comic Con. If you haven’t attended before, it’s nearly impossible to get a ticket.

Passes sell out within minutes, and even then it’s a lottery draw to see who gets to buy passes. Locally in Vancouver, there is FanExpo and Anime Revolution.

These conventions are essentially the same thing, just on a smaller scale. They’re also much easier to get into. The halls of these conventions tend to be filled with extravagant costumes and cameras flashing to capture it all.

The community of cosplayers is incredible. Every fanbase, no matter how big or small, can expect a warm welcome. This is a large group of like-minded individuals. They come from every corner of the earth to celebrate their passions together. It’s a truly

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Communism.” – Jared Barkman

unique experience to be able to be a part of all this. Even if the costumes aren’t flawless, there is a very accepting and open community. Some of my closest friends are people I have met because of cosplay.

A conversation starts because we’re both dressed as a Tardis, and it never really stops. Cosplay is so much more than the creation of costumes. It’s everything that comes after the costume is finished that completes the experience.

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MARCH 25, 2015

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ashton WINSLOW

We all run. Each and every one of us takes a look at the world and, in some form or fashion, develops a sudden craving for the horizon.

There are those who pound out their fears in Adidas shoes and gym shorts, forcing arctic morning air into bloodshot lungs, each breath a quiet scream of defiance against an oncoming tide of shadow and should-be-done’s.

Some seek reprieve in other ways, seeking for solace in the green absinth fairy, sleeping soundly in the arms of her embrace, numb to nothing (and yet, numb to everything). We all run, jump the fence of

oppressive pressures threatening to cave in the grand sphere of life.

Me? I run to Azeroth.

I lay my hands on keyboards and characters, combining technology and fantasy in pursuit of defeating orcish monsters, horde warlords, and mythic kings of the undead. I play World of Warcraft, spending anywhere from two to five hours in the refinement of my alter ego. I find it relaxing, a place of great dreams, a home away from home where I am not merely a lonely undergrad, but a master, a hero, a person capable of creating change through sheer force of will. And this game, this world, comes with questioning voices asking, “Why?” or, “How is this worth it?” or maybe even, “You spend HOW much time in game?!” passing judgment on my little trapdoor of escape. However, I find that it is necessary to respond to these concerns, to answer

the question of why.

I have spent over 200 days of time in Azeroth over the past four years. How can I justify such a sink of time? Time which (so I’m told) could be used for so much more. The Church as a creature demands and cries out for us to serve, to give our time, our money, and our abilities to the grand cause of God and Gospel. Be it far from me to condemn this! But I must ask, what place is there for me? How may I be served in my servitude? My heart constantly cries out for justice, but every hour I volunteer is but a drop in the grand bucket of the world. The Church and I may work and strive every day to prevent great evil, to fight the good fight, to run the race set before us,

but in the end, the evil prevented seems so small compared to the abyss that still awaits. If I spend a whole week tirelessly praying for and serving abused women, tomorrow will still be essentially the same: by the time I have my pants on and a toothbrush in my mouth, a woman will have been sexually assaulted.

This is not hyperbole; this is merely the way things are. And I, I can oft be discouraged by the seeming ineffectiveness of the effort I put out. I have faith, and I truly believe God will take my works and create grand change, but each day is a battle against an enemy much larger than I. And so, for my own health and hope, I run. I take temporary leave of reality, briefly escaping into a universe where my every action produces tangible change towards a well-defined

A medieval heartbreak

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sidsel RICHMOND

“Lightning strikes inside my chest to keep me up at night.” A prolific songwriter on love and all its related topics, this phrase is how John Mayer describes heartbreak.

For others, it’s a feeling of your breath catching in your throat or your heart sinking in your chest.

For most of the heartbroken, the best repair is a solid wallowing session. Lie in bed, cry with a friend, eat some Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, because honey, that’s what you’ll be. And eventually someone comes by and tells you that it’s time to get up, move on, and start fresh.

But heartbreak is isolat-

ing. There are reminders everywhere and people expect you to move on faster than you can, because heartbreak is a feeling and time heals all emotional wounds.

What if heartbreak was considered a medical condition that didn’t just dissolve with time? If this were the 1500s, it would be considered just that. Lovesickness was thought to be a medical illness from the time of the Ancient Greeks to the Middle Ages, found in medical texts throughout the centuries. Interestingly, while women were claimed as more frequently afflicted with heartbreak than men, it was the male population that was regarded as more difficult to cure because they were more intensely stricken by the ail-

ment. This theory was based on the malleability of their brains.

Heartbreak, ancient and medieval thinkers speculated, physically imprinted the brain and left an impression. It was believed to happen more strongly in men because men were thought to have drier brains than women, and an impression made on dry surface is harder to erase than when it is made on a more spongy, wet surface.

The idea of lovesickness as an illn e s s didn’t

goal. There, for a while, I am a hero. I am invincible, unable to be defeated, and I am given renewed self-efficacy, given new energy to send myself back into the fray of reality.

I love the work God has called me to do, I truly do. However, I have come to understand that God also loves me and wants me to take care of myself. This is how I do it. So, if you ever come by my apartment and see me sitting in my armchair, shouting out orders to friends hundreds of miles away, know that I have not gone away because the real world is to be abandoned. Know that I have run away so that I may come back to the fight even better than before. We all run. I just run to get reinforcements.

only come up in medical circles, but also in literature like Chaucer’s The Knight’s Tale, in which a knight succumbs to this disease of the heart. It was a condition for physicians of the body just as much as physicians of the soul.

Nowadays you can’t go to the doctor with a case of the achy-breakies, but if you need that reassurance that hey, this is more than just a feeling, it might be time to crack open the Canterbury Tales and find comfort in a medieval concept of love and all its risks.

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “A giant hill that you keep rolling down for infinity.” – Mady Gallard

MARCH 25, 2015

15

GREGORY REESE

a conversation on fantasy and the arts with Monika Hilder

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mackenzie CAMERON

Mars’ Hill: What is your involvement with fantasy and the arts?

Monika Hilder: I did my Ph.D. on the education of the moral imagination through fantasy literature, focusing on George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis, and Madeleine L’Engle. The burning research question came from years of teaching both high school and university English. One of the recurring complaints from students was that all the literature studied in high school was so depressing.

As a young teacher, I thought, “But Orwell’s 1984 is important!

OK, yes, it’s depressing,” and I set out to find, for instance, poetry in the designated grade 11 volume that showed hope. I kept leafing through the pages, concluding, “Yes, I can see why my 16-yearolds would think that this is really depressing.” Yet I also knew that there was so much literature that dealt with all of the tough issues in life from a perspective of faith, so I decided to see what I might do about that. I focused on some of my favourite authors, all Christians, who were intrigued with how fantasy literature especially can depict hope.

I think one of the reasons why these fantasy authors have become so popular is due to their challenge to naturalism (the atheistic perspective that there is no God, that there’s just this material world). The idea of teasing readers out of that place and giving them the experience of supernatural goodness—to feel it, touch it, and believe it—that’s what these authors were interested in. Lewis’ own experience came from being a convinced atheist until his early 30’s, yet when he was 17 he read George MacDonald’s Phantastes

and it truly baptized his imagination in a way that contributed to his later coming to faith; the feeling of “Holiness” slipped past his so-called rational defenses.

These authors all put forward the idea that we need to educate the imagination so that people can consider what they might otherwise easily reject—faith.

And it’s obvious that people are hungry for hope. Millions flock to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, or Narnia. By contrast, who’s flocking to the high school staple, Lord of the Flies? It’s ironic that at perhaps the most vulnerable time of one’s life, adolescence, we have tended to teach some of the darkest literature. Not that darker literature should be avoided altogether—we do need to understand the questions and some of the very dire conclusions these authors offer—but we also need to read literature that addresses the very same horrors from a perspective of redemption. People like Lewis and Tolkien, both of whom fought in WWI and were very worried about other historical developments, did exactly that. I think it’s essential to give people the experience that dragons can be beaten.

MH: What have you learned about faith through your study of fantasy?

MH: One of the things I’ve learned is the biblical concept of “foolish weakness”—the idea that it’s not the so-called big guys who will win the battle. Winning has to do with faithfulness; it has to do with God working through you, and with that is the element of surprise: the enemy doesn’t expect the little guy who d o e s n’t have the ammunition to win. We

see it again and again in this kind of fantasy literature: vulnerable children, like Meg and Charles Wallace in A Wrinkle in Time, overcome evil with good. This is the David and Goliath story where the battle belongs to the Lord, and as you are centered in God, you will win because He wins through you.

MH: How does escapism factor into living a life of faith? I know that there’s a perception that fantasy exists as a way of avoiding reality, but do you think that’s the case?

MH: Some of these authors have said that a so-called “realism” based on materialism where you’re not dealing with darker problems is in fact a very dangerous form of escapism. Life isn’t about looking 25 for as long as possible and buying things at the mall. “Realism” is dangerous because you’re escaping from what actually is. Fantasy,

however, can be a literary escape from this “everyday” world, which presumably only boils down to death and taxes. Where’s your soul in that? Where’s the spirit world? Well, it’s actually all there; it just depends on how you look at it. Lewis and Charles Williams, for example, showed the spiritual dynamics of everyday life as a dire battle between good and evil 24/7. If you look through a realist lens you won’t see this, and that’s what’s really scary.

As to fantasy as escapism, Tolkien and Lewis had an awesome answer. They talked about how the false paradigm of naturalism has imprisoned many into thinking and feeling that God does not exist. For a prisoner, would it not be rational to wish to escape? Readers of this kind of fantasy literature are therefore fugitives to freedom—they’re escaping into the reality of the living God. They’re not denying the dark prison—instead, they’re saying that this tiny atheistic cell is false because God is real. God is alive.

MH: Do you think that we are nearing a time where we are losing fantasy through fiction to fantasy through technology?

MH: It’s possible. I think it’s something that people worry about. We worry about the loss of the desire and even of the ability to read through addiction to new technologies.

We also

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Lower café men’s bathroom stall.” – Jake Lanki

worry about how literature can be distorted through film. On the other hand, some people are reading more than ever. Some who say they have “no time to read” have often read all of Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings, and those that don’t read the novels still go to the movies—there’s something that draws them in. The love of a good story doesn’t die easily.

MH: What does Lewis have to say about fantasy? More specifically, what made him enter into writing fantasy and what kind of a role did he think that would serve?

MH: He thought it was the perfect vehicle for portraying spiritual adventures and he also loved the imagination. Lewis was a rationalist in the sense that he believed in reason, though not perhaps in the sense that we do.

We often assume that logical thinking equates to discounting imagination, but Lewis also truly believed in the imagination. He was a brilliant apologist, trained in philosophy too, but said that the imaginative man inside him was “older” and “more basic” than the critical thinker. Lewis thought that reason is the natural voice of truth, but that imagination is the voice of meaning. You can’t have one without the other.

In The Abolition of Man, Lewis urged for literature educators to teach the correct emotional responses to good and evil. Otherwise, if you only educate for intellect without teaching the moral emotions, basically you could end up with Nazi doctors who are brilliant and evil. Lewis hoped to write fantasy that helped to train people into moral thinking and feeling—and therefore, moral being.” His advice to teachers and writers is ‘go out and baptize the imagination with Holiness.’ As the poet Shelley said, “The great instrument of moral good is the imagination.”

16

MARCH 25, 2015

SPORTS

CONNOR EWERT

connor.ewert1@mytwu.ca

Spartans make history (again)

TWU men’s and women’s track and field make history at CIS championships

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connor EWERT

The TWU men’s and women’s track and field teams made history a couple weeks ago at the 2015 CIS Championships, held in Windsor, Ontario.

The women finished second overall for the first time in program history, as they collected 79 total team points and seven overall medals. Fifth-year Fiona Benson led TWU as she captured

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connor EWERT

Mars’ Hill: Why Did You Choose to Come to TWU and Become a Spartan?

DB: I initially chose Trinity because of track and field. Then I came on my visit and loved it here. I was only here for a few hours and already knew it was where I wanted to go to school. I didn’t end up applying anywhere else and just slowly accepted that Trinity was where I was going to go to school. Never looked back since.

MH: How did you hear about TWU and the Spartans?

DB: I had raced Spartan athletes when I was in high school.

Also, my high school coach ran hurdles with the head coach here, so she had mentioned it to me.

Then when I started thinking

gold in the 1500m. Benson also won a silver in the 3000m, and bronze in the 4x400m relay and 4x800m relay to cap off her impressive TWU career. She is the most decorated TWU track and field athlete at the CIS level, with six total medals.

Claudette Allen also won gold in the long jump. Sabrina Nettey broke her own Spartans record in the triple jump with a jump of 12.47m to win the bronze medal.

As a team, TWU’s previous best finish was third overall in 2014, when they collected 64 total points. The Spartans result was very impressive considering they were competing without the two-

time CIS Champion high jumper in Emma Nuttall, who could not compete due to injury.

The men’s team finished with a program best of seventh place at the CIS Championships. It was the team’s first ever CIS top 10 finish.

The final event of the meet was the 4x400m, where the Spartans finished fourth, vaulting them into seventh place in the standings. In the end, TWU only finished one point back of sixth place Toronto, and three back of the tie for fourth, with UVIC and Laval taking home the honours.

The Spartans top-ranked 4x200m relay team dropped the

about running on a varsity team, Trinity was the first one I thought of.

MH: What are some accomplishments you had in high school or prior to becoming a Spartan?

DB: 2nd place in BC high schools for 400 meter hurdles in grade 12.

2nd in BC club provincials for 400 meter hurdles.

If you could play any other sport other than your Spartan sport, what would it be? Why? Soccer. I played it while in high school and loved it. I still love playing it.

MH: What are you afraid of ?

DB: Girls.

MH: What excites or excited you about being a Spartan?

DB: Being able to contribute the team, even if it’s just a little bit. Also just being able to work out with such a great team and have really good coaching.

MH: Who is one person in your life that has been a mentor to you?

DB: My dad.

MH: Where do you see yourself when you are done your time here at TWU? DB: I see myself in some form of graduate studies program.

Maybe med school. I would ideally like to still be running, but we’ll see where that goes. Either way, I’ll be running on my own if not on a competitive team.

baton and upon further review, they were disqualified from the competition.

The Spartans best previous result was 11th, which they achieved last year.

Nathan George and Calum Innes received silver medals in the 300m and 60m hurdles, respectively, while Declan White received TWU’s only bronze medal in the 3000m.

Congratulations to all of our athletes for their hard work this season and for making us all proud! We certainly cannot wait for the next season to start!

Name: David Boyd Place of Birth/Where are you from?

Victoria, BC Birthday: May 25, 1995 Year of Schooling: Second Year Major/Program: Natural and Applied Sciences Sport/Club/Team: Men’s Track and Field Position: Main event: 400 meter hurdles

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Nice dreams with friends.” – Jacob Schellenberg

MARCH 25, 2015

17

The positives of sports-themed video games Research shows sports video games encourage kids to get onto the field

we should then buy a new type of video game, however, we must make sure the title of the game contains words like NBA, NHL, MLB or NFL. There is new research that suggests young kids, preteens and adolescents, who play more sports video games are more likely to get involved in real-life sports and activities. Moreover, the playing of these games has appeared to enhance children’s self-esteem through allowing them to develop and further master sports-related

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connor EWERT

It is widely believed that video games of any theme are to be blamed for the epidemic of childhood obesity in North America.

They encourage kids to sit in front of screens rather than going outside to play. If this is a worry,

skills and knowledge where they may not otherwise. Sport video games may provide a safer environment for kids to develop these skills and knowledge and also provide them with the thrill of victory, since they can adjust their skill level and playing ability as they gain more experience in the games.

Psychologists from Brock University followed a group of students over four years, from grade 9-12. They surveyed how often they played organized sports over

the last month and they measured their self-esteem levels through a questionnaire in grades 10 and 11. They were also asked how frequently they played sports video games.

They discovered that kids who played sports more frequently were also more likely to play sports video games. Also, they found that playing sports video games resulted in a greater involvement in sports and sport activities. In essence, playing sports video games encouraged kids to

The fantasy phenomenon The domination of fantasy sports

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connor EWERT

Before the start of any major sport season, whether it is baseball, basketball, football, or hockey, it always begins with everyday fans joining a fantasy league or pool of some sort.

The most widely used and referenced is Fantasy Football. There are many different websites and systems on which to run a Fantasy league, including Yahoo, ESPN, TSN, CBS Sports, or the major sport association’s actual website.

Though it was invented for recreational use and for the pleasure of virtually owning your own team, it has become something more. Many people have lost hundreds or even thousands of dollars because of their addictions to Fantasy Football and other sports. Some have lost land and houses, while others, cars and even their children’s savings accounts for college in the future. It has become a major gambling institution across the United States.

Not only has it had effects on the gambling scene, but it is also being seen on the actual field of play.

With points being given to Fantasy owners for any type of statistic you

may think of, it has led sports and leagues to play in a certain way, whether they are conscious of it or not.

Since many NFL fans play Fantasy Football, the NFL has marketed some of their gameplay toward Fantasy owners and players to help garner their interest and earn more money. Richard Sherman, the controversial allpro cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, has said, “When the Fantasy Football numbers need to be what they need to be, then the league needs to do what it needs to do to get it done. This is a money-driven league, so whatever sells the tickets is gonna sell the tickets.”

Whether Sherman is right or wrong, he has a strong argument. In the entire 2013 NFL season, there were 54 illegal contact penalties made. Then in the first two weeks of the 2014 NFL regular season, there were 56. The illegal contact penalty is to restrict the defense from making contact with the offensive player. So by increasing the illegal contact penalties, there were higher offensive numbers, which equaled more offense output for teams and individual players, increasing their Fantasy value. It is evident that Sherman has a point.

I am in a Fantasy league with some friends here at TWU, but only for the pure enjoyment and bragging

rights.

We do not put money down, and I believe that is the best way to do it.

The anticipation of the draft and trading players is something that will intrigue you until season’s end, however the purpose you do it for can change that. Fantasy sports is a phenomenon all around North America, but it is quite dangerous to play competitively and for the purpose of making money off of professional athletes.

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Intestines.” – Amanda Emery What do you envy most about the opposite gender? “They get more attention.” - Naomi

turn off their computers and play on the field.

We have always known that sports can help kids develop useful habits and learn different ways of life through interactions with the sport and teammates, and through hard work can come victory. This research now also suggests that kids who are too shy, small or uncertain of their abilities now have a safe way to learn the basics of a sport and build up their self-confidence.

18

MARCH 25, 2015

273 Number of perfect NCAA brackets 39 Games above .500 by the Atlanta Hawks in the ESPN tournament challenge after the this season, the best in franchise history. first day. There were 11 million total entries,

48 Number of losses through the first 65 30 Number of Tommy John surgeries ungames by the Los Angeles Lakers, the most in dergone by Atlanta Braves players since 2005, the most in the MLB.

franchise history.

The tanking game

Teams race for last to land Connor McDavid

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connor EWERT

When Buffalo management made the blockbuster deal to send defenseman Tyler Myers and their third leading scorer Drew Stafford to Winnipeg for the injured Evander Kane, then hours later acquired one of the statistically worst goalies in the NHL, rumblings that the Sabres were tanking could be heard everywhere.

However, the problem is that it is impossible to tell if the Sabres indeed are tanking with a team that bad. The Sabres are on pace to be the worst offensive team in the NHL since the inception of the forward pass in 1929-30. The players and coaches are definitely not trying to lose, and they were losing badly before and after the trades occurred. But when the first two picks are Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, it is understandable why the topic is brought up.

Teams never tanked to get the likes of Steven Stamkos, Sidney Crosby, or Alex Ovechkin, and teams are not tanking to get McDavid or Eichel. But this topic has not been around the table of discussion surrounding the draft for nearly three decades.

McDavid and Eichel are each

projected to be the kind of player that only comes around once every ten years. They are that good.

Even though the team that comes in last in the standings only has a 20% chance at getting the first pick, they will be guaranteed to get either of the first two, which will give them the opportunity to select a future star and a player that could change the organization forever.

McDavid had his 27-game point streak recently snapped, however, he ranks third in OHL scoring with 118 points in 46 games. This is roughly 2.6 points per game. To put this into perspective, he has also played 20 fewer games than the first and second in OHL scoring, while only being six points behind the first place overall. He has also helped his team, the Erie Otters, clinch their division and a playoff spot with an impressive 48-14-2 record on the season thus far.

Eichel plays for Boston University in NCAA Division 1.

Eichel is a finalist for the Hobey Baker award, given to the USA’s top college hockey player, and he is the favourite to win the award.

He has 61 points in 34 games.

He was also the captain of the American World Junior Team this past Christmas, which was a surprising move considering he is only 18 years old. He has also led BU to a fourth place overall ranking in all of Div. 1 schools in the

NCAA. This is how much is at stake with players of this caliber. It is no question that McDavid and Eichel, considering everything that we have seen and that they have shown, deserve to be the most hyped hockey players to be drafted that this generation has ever seen.

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY March 24th, 1936 Detroit Red Wings beat Montreal Maroons in 16 minutes and 30 seconds of the 6th overtime period. Stanley Cup game lasts 9 periods with a total of 176 minutes. The game ended 1-0.

March 25th, 1982 Wayne Gretzky becomes 1st NHL player to score 200 points in a season March 25th, 1972 UCLA wins its 6th consecutive NCAA men’s basketball title March 26th, 1915 Vancouver Millionaires sweet the Ottawa Senators to win the city’s first and only Stanley Cup March 26th, 1974 George Foreman TKOs Ken Norton in 2 for Heavyweight boxing title in Caracas, Venezuela

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Inception had it right: in someone else’s dream.” – Miriam Campbell

MARCH 25, 2015

HUMOUR

19

TREVOR MCMAHAN

trevor.mcmahan@mytwu.ca

Your bi-weekly dose of LOLs and guffaws

Procrastination and your goblin

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trevor MCMAHAN

It’s 4 AM the night before a paper is due, and you’re only awake because you drank two pots of caffeinated green tea.

You regret everything you’ve done in life up to this point. You look back to the hour you spent on BuzzFeed around 11 PM, or better yet, the three weeks you

didn’t use to write your paper.

You ruefully curse your poor decision making, asking yourself, “How did this happen again?”

Well, if it makes you feel better, we’ve all been there. Also, I’m procrastinating right now by writing this article.

When we procrastinate, magic brain juice gets released into our skulls. But unbeknownst to many, that juice that is the sole nutrient of a small little goblin that lives in all of our heads.

Without it, the goblin goes into hibernation, but with it, the

goblin becomes obnoxious.

When you face a challenge, it usually tells you to do something easy. “Hey, did you listen to Kendrick Lamar’s new album yet? Wait, I think someone probably sent you a message on Facebook. Minesweeper sounds like fun right now.” If you do what it says, it gets a little drink of magic juice, which increases its strength.

Sometimes, just to mess with you, it tells you to do what you’d rather be doing (or what you didn’t know you’d rather

be doing). “Let’s go for a bike ride. How about we vacuum our room? You should write a humour article right now.” As this goblin grows stronger, your willpower grows weaker and the deadline comes closer. Just when you least expect it, the goblin floods your brain with regret, despair, and a heaping dose of panic. And all you wanted to do is listen to Kendrick’s new album again!

Don’t let the goblin win, my friends! He may seem friendly, but he’s anything but. I believe

Gotcha strategy guide

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andrew RICHMOND

Gotcha. No matter who you are and where you were, that week changed you. Trinity was no longer the happy “I Love This Place” campus I’ve come to know and love. It was a place of turmoil. A

place of espionage. A place of betrayal. And a water bottle was no longer just a means of hydration.

It was an instrument of war.

This article is for those of you who failed. Those of you who didn’t check carefully enough before leaving your class. Those of you who, for one brief moment, felt safe. Those who needed that one last Jugo Juice. We’ve all been there – sitting with a damp shirt, drenched in despair. You fought

the good fight, but you just didn’t fight hard enough. Here are some ideas for you to implement into your strategy next year: Don’t trust anyone. Especially if you killed them. That’s probably a bad idea.

You are never safe. Whether you have an 8:00 AM lab or a romantic walk with your significant other at midnight, your assassin will find you and will kill you.

When in doubt, just pull the

trigger. None of that “wait until you see the whites of their eyes” crap. If you think there’s even a slight chance that a person might be your target, go for it.

Don’t let your studies get in the way of your potential assassinations.

It may not be ideal to be carried around in a suitcase, and it may make you a bit more vulnerable, but it automatically makes you feel at least 50% more badass.

you can persevere. Put this newspaper down and go write your paper.

I am not a hypocrite: I am a cautionary tale. Don’t do what I’m doing. It may seem tough, but that’s because it is. When you’re feeling low, just remember that in seven years, you won’t remember how hard you worked, only that your dorm won the Banana Challenge that one time. (Seriously, put this down.)

And that’s what really counts, right?

The parkade counts as outside.

OUTSIDE. When you see your target’s name is Tan Xing Lao, just accept the fact that you lost.

We salute you, fallen soldier.

You deserved better. When it comes down to it, remember this: midterms are temporary, but glory lasts forever. Best of luck to you next year, tributes!

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Inside the belly of a goose.” – Keenan Marchard

20

MARCH 25, 2015

DE-CLASSIFIEDS

marshillonline.com/de-classifieds

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.

Bet you $10 there are gonna be a few “Must get on the De-Classifieds before I graduate” posts on here.

I’m a fifth year and I’ve never published a declassified...

Those one-person dance parties when your roommate is gone #prime Can we all just appreciate that TWUSA nailed it this year? #weareTWU #whyaresomanyofthemsingle

Dr. Havers, showing a picture of a philosopher shunned by the public: “This is a picture of Dr. Wiebe!”

When you realize finals are around the corner and you still haven’t done the reading from the first class...

Annual alumni fee: $25. What happened to that $100,000 I just paid for my alumni status #norespect #ifeelrobbed “I don’t know my kill code, do you want to swap numbers?” #PickupLinesDuringGotcha

How many cans can a Cannes can canner can in Cannes, if a Cannes can canner in Cannes can can cans?

Deryk I think your tractor is sexy.

M.

We Trinity students do not realize how privileged and pampered we are. A summer job will soon reconfirm this.

Dear imaginary guy in my imaginary class. Hi.

The flow on the resident farmer is ridiculous.

To the only single pole vaulter: date me.

Andrew Perrin looks too much like Daniel Sousa from Agent Carter. Just saying.

Schmidt brothers. Which one to choose?

Jimmy Fallon. Because of you, I have laughed hysterically and cried hysterically at how much work I could’ve done instead of watching you for the last 5 hours.

Why does my aorta go nuts when I make eye contact with you Carolyn Bazin?

Hope you ladies loved your rabbits. -7Lowmies

THE HIMNAL

Only two more weeks of Cruel Angel left?!

The pile-up to leave after chapel is too much. I swear the Israelites had an easier time exiting Egypt.

Ralph Alvaro

My favourite part of Gotcha was driving past Cody Friesen, spraying him with water, and watching him run and scream like a tiny child.

I swear, I’m not as weird as my RLF (resting library face) makes me seem.

That time I wish I hand arms of the same proportions of an albatross to it’s body: doing homework for the first time in the Fraser Lounge booths DOES ANYONE ELSE WONDER WHY THERE IS NO WATER FILTER ON THE TOP FLOOR OF THE LIBRARY LIKE WHY TWU WHY Dear Trinity Goose. On behalf of all of the Trinity Students, I am sorry for all of the incessant torture that you have been enduring for the past week. I hope that we can remain friends.

Sincerely, Friends of Trinity Goose.

If you love movies, strike up a conversation with Luke from the main caf. He’s a cinematic arts genius.

Anyone who doesn’t know about Trinity’s ‘spaces’ book is missing out. Get one and support our fellow artists!

year: 5th

age: 22

Not only are the geese taking over campus, but they’re now taking over my newsfeed #GooseGift

What sort of man was Boaz before he was married? Ruth-less.

Why is Trinity so lifeless towards the end of the semester? The students are too busy stu-dying.

TWU’s new app discriminates unfairly based on cellphone preference. #realphonesdeserveequality

Basic goose defense should be included in MyTWU 101.

Wow time flies when you’re eating the 5 perogies and sausage.

To whoever returned my phone and my student card: bless your soul!

Gotcha, The only week everyone on campus stays hydrated. Could we make this the norm? A concerned student.

No big. -a fifth year student looking up at the cherry blossoms

Can somebody tell me if that was a drill? Please respond soon

How the heck did the Douglas Centre “ L” get bent?

Still waiting on that Ferris wheel...

Nathan George, I challenge you to best of 5 in Smash Bros.

Love, Derek Scott

That time when Wigmore singlehandedly lifted Nico V. By his underwear and dropped him like a boss.

Campus pranks have gone down significantly. It’s a shame.

-Alum of 1999

Young Asian security guard, thank you for how seriously you take your job. Blonde middleaged lady guard, thank you for being so nice. New Brownhaired guard, thank you for opening the gate without forcing me to open my window.

Will you be my date for the Grad Banquet?...you’d only have to pay $60 for your ticket!

“There are plenty of fish in the sea” Me: But I want that fish!! #theonlyone #imprinting

Urban Dictionary your first name. It’ll be great fun they said...

major: Human Kinetics

please put in my other complaints

height: 6’3” when

wearing Timberlands MACKENZIE CAMERON

Age Hometown: limit (max/min)? means, so if it refers to the max difference in age between me and potential datee, then probably Best pick-up line?

Surrey, I’m BC not sure what this question Idea of a perfect date? Sunset balloon ride, 8 years.

“I went on a mission trip, and all I did was end land atop Norma’s roof, watch a couple of re-runs Denomination: Baptist

“One Heart” by Mat Kearney

of The Blake & Adam Show, while we stuff our faces with pulled pork made by Suzanne and stay hydrated with Jugo’s by Lower Caf Kenny, all while being serenaded/chaperoned by Jared Crossley from chapel.

Views on Courtship?

Biggest deal breaker:

A chaperone is a must, especially if we’re watching a McConaughey rom-com.

If she’s not down for adventures in the wilderness, because her shoes will get dirty.

Fave way to worship God? Remixing the good ol’ hymns.

Fave Christian (non-worship) song?

up mission you.”

Best place for a first kiss?

On the forehead. Second, the nose.

How do you know its love?

When she says she “cannot wait to be a mom”… makes me weak in the knees.

domestic talent?

I got some killer interior decorating skills.

What is the weirdest setting for a dream? “Wisconsin.” - Jordan Klassen