Mars Hill Newspaper Vol 19 Issue 4 by Mars Hill Newspaper

ACTS 17:19-20

VOLUME 19, ISSUE 4

#BLESSED

ABUSE

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

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NOVEMBER 5. 2014

FROM THE EDITOR

Mars’ Hill

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

THE TEAM

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.

PETER WOEKEL

MISSION TO MARS

managing editor

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.

AMY GOERTZEN

visual editor

STEPHANIE REDEKOP

chief copy editor

COLTON MARTIN

layout editor

SIDSEL RICHMOND

illustration editor

JUNHO KIM

photo editor

ERIK DELANGE

web presence

REESE MARTIN

advertising & finance manager

OFFICE tunes The National T Swift’s 1989 Bombay Bicycle Club Let It Go (...again) Bon Iver

EDITORIAL POLICY

Let’s talk about the dis-ssues

tara GORMAN

As a Linguistics major, I have learned that words contain a unique beauty. It is a blessing to be able to study the intricacies, rhythms, patterns, and unpredictability that form the basis of every language in the world. The utterance of even one sentence contains numerous mental grammatical rules that we barely think about while speaking. Language is one of the most beautifully innate human abilities in our world. But sometimes language is frustrating; sometimes aspects of language are so complex and nuanced, or so completely random, that it seems like they cannot ever fully be explained. I find myself asking, “Why do the speakers of this language say this? How do they say this?” And because of my limited training, it seems that the only viable answer is that “they just do.” English, for me, is one of those languages; as I become more and more aware of the linguistic workings of my native tongue, the more frustratingly beautiful it becomes. Other languages piece together different words to form a broader meaning, but in English, behind each word is a deep personal, cultural, and historical meaning. And even then, English, like all languages, is fluid, constantly changing and moving. When the Mars’ Hill team settled on “disillusionment” and “disappointment” as the words that would represent this issue’s theme, the linguist in me was curious. What do these words really

mean, and how are they used in our culture – or in the subculture of our school itself ? I believe that it is important to firstly speak about the prefix of these two words: dis-. You see, while both words have this same prefix, they do not actually represent the same concept. Let’s start with disillusionment by taking it apart. The word “illusion,” coming from Latin and Old French, means a mocking, deceit, deception, jesting, and irony. “Disillusionment,” if we draw inferences from its classical meaning, means that the deception of an illusion is uncovered and its true nature is revealed. The prefix, then, represents revelation. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, however, gives the modern definition: “a feeling of disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as once believed it to be.” One would think that to uncover a lie would be beneficial, but in a modern sense, disillusionment holds a negative meaning. Rather than feeling satisfied that we have found the truth, we feel hurt. Therefore, disillusionment is the inversion of enlightenment. As you can see, the modern definition of “disillusionment” holds the next word that we will examine: “disappointment.” Here we see the prefix dis- being used differently, but if we study the history of the word, the meaning has again changed significantly from its original use. If we take the word into its smaller segments (dis-appointment), we would think that it means to undo an appointment. But in this case, the word only makes sense if it is taken in its full form. “Disappointment,” again from Merriam-Webster, means “to make (someone) unhappy by not being as good as expected or

JUNHO KIM

by not doing something that was hoped for or expected.” So, where am I going with this? Both disillusionment and disappointment are emotions, both are used in a negative sense, and both are currently acutely felt on our own Trinity Western campus. You see, English is also powerfully relative. Our conceptions of words are greatly formed by our experiences, and they are changed or reinforced as we develop our own particular idea of the world. At TWU, we are currently feeling a sense of disillusionment; some of us feel confused because our good and moral community is being attacked as a place that is more morally grey than we once perceived. We also feel extremely disappointed as we see the LSBC reverse their decision in accrediting any future graduates of our proposed law school. And this is to where I have been building: it is so very important to know that disillusionment and disappointment are not stagnant words, they are words that represent an interim. While these feelings are acute, it is not common to dwell upon them, but to overcome them and pass into a next stage of emotions, a stage where we have the autonomy to choose. Disillusionment can easily become fear and anger, but it also can become enlightenment. Disappointment can transform into despair, but also be overwhelmed by hope. The choice of permitting either of these emotions to dominate us rests on our own decisions. We must remember, then, that the reasons for this campus’ own sense of disillusionment and disappointment are a crossroads and not a dead end, and like the language that we speak, we will always be capable of moving forward.

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Plums... they can be total prunes.” -1H

Mars’ Hill encourages submissions and letters to the Editor. These must be signed and are due one week prior to publication. 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 Junho Kim

Photo Editor

Sidsel Richmond Illustration Editor

Colton Martin Layout Editor

Stephanie Redekop Chief Copy Editor

OPERATIONS Reese Martin

Advertising & Finance Manager

Erik deLange Web Presence

CONTRIBUTORS Nathan Bartz Erik deLange Tim English Ty Hanlon Charissa Hurt Johnny Janzen Stuart Knott Amy Kobelt Amy Korol Hannah Marazzi Mario Matias Juju Milay Andy Phillips Alexa Raper Sidsel Richmond Kyle Rose Matthew Wigmore

SPECIAL THANKS

Kat Grabowski for the team photos

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Loranne Brown

www.marshillonline.com This issue brought to you by Halloween chocolate and juice boxes.

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

NEWS

SARAH GROCHOWSKI

sarah.grochowski@mytwu.ca

Shooting in our nation’s capital

Misconceptions of terrorism

stuart KNOTT

Just over a week ago, at 10am E.T., there were shots fired at the Parliament buildings of our nation’s capital. They began at the War Memorial, regrettably killing Corporal Nathan Cirillo, just before moving onto the Center Block of parliament. Within moments this ignoble act resulted in Parliament Hill and other surrounding areas being locked down. This led to rampant publicspeculation as to the motives of the perpetrator, the background

of the gunman, the possibility of group involvement, and to what extent our nation should now remain on alert. After firing shots in the parliament building, Zehaf-Bibeau himself was shot and killed by sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers. Upon further examination, Bibeau’s history of struggle with addiction and mental illness has now come to light. His background in criminal activity was limited to robbery and uttering threats alone. He even went as far as turning himself in for robbery he committed a decade prior, in hopes of having time in prison to

break his debilitating drug addiction. So without condoning his horrendous actions, we can be more aware of what contributed to them. There has also been a dissonance in political opinion regarding Bibeau. The leader of the New Democratic Party, Thomas Mulcair, spoke in an interview a week after the incident stating, “We are not in the presence of a terrorist attack in the sense that we would understand.” Unfortunately Peter Kent, a Conservative MP, opposes Mulcair’s position saying, “It’s ridiculous. It was an

act of terror, clearly an act of terror - his background and his motivation.” Bibeau was Islamic, yes, but after his conversion to Islam, he committed acts like reaching out to his mother in reconciliation, as it is a part of the Islamic faith to live in peace with others. The discussion led to Bibeau sharing his plans to travel to Saudi Arabia to study Islam and the Qu’ran: needing a passport to do so was his intentions for visiting Ottawa, in hopes of being able study his faith in an environment that shared his own belief systems. Unfortunately, the RCMP

released a faulty statement by Deputy Commissioner Mike Cabana, claiming Bibeau intended to travel to Syria; this was later acknowledged as misinformation. Mr. Mulcair was correct; a terrorist in the common sense of the word did not attack us, nor did a religious extremist. We were really attacked by a mentally ill individual who tried to change his life and pleaded for help at the hands of our courts. What followed was a heartbreaking travesty but we must accept all that truly led up to this loss and proceed with our own opinions from there.

health. There are three mental states of the brain: green, yellow, and red. Most students walk around in a state of “yellow brain” due to the stress of classes, work, and other demands. In this state, they are only able to use 75% of their regular IQ. This causes an individual to lose the ability to think thoroughly, problem solve, and empathize; skills that are crucial when learning. They also feel unwanted, unloved, and bereft of intrinsic value. From here, the slip from “yellow brain” into “red brain” is exceptionally easy. It could be one exam that didn’t go well, one argument with a teacher or student, or one school bill that is just too high to pay. Red brain is the flight, fight, or freeze part of our brain where less than 50% of one’s IQ is used. An individual in this state has a complete loss of problem-solving skills, an inabil-

ity to see other perspectives, and an empathy-lacking heart. Can you imagine students pursuing social or international relief work having the inability, at times, to empathize with those they are seeking to help? Can you imagine going to classes with the hopes of learning and not being able to truly feel safe? Each one of us, whether we know it or not, is in one or more of these mental states during the day. It is best for Canada’s post secondary students to be in a healthy, productive “green brain” state, where 100% of their IQ is used and no problems occur in empathizing, solving, or flourishing, but this is not the case for most. We are not without hope, however, as awareness is the first step. Most students are not cognizant of what mental state they are in, how to manage it, or even the importance that mental health truly plays in their education. Heartbreakingly, for some, it’s just something that they’ll “deal with later.” If this is you, the next step is to know that you are not alone and to do your own mind, heart, and education a favour by seeking a helping hand. TWU’s Wellness Centre is dedicated to your personal growth and healing, and can be reached at (604)-513-2100 or in their office, located in the upper level of Douglas Centre.

Stressed students learn less Ontario pledges twelve million dollars

sarah

GROCHOWSKI

Mental health initiatives are on the rise in our country, specifically those that aid post-secondary students. This month, the government of Ontario pledged 12 million dollars to fund mental health projects for its post-secondary students. “Our most important responsibility is to ensure the safety and well-being of our students,” explained MPP Reza Moridi, Ontario’s minister of colleges and universities. Statistics Canada discovered that people aged 15-24 are the most susceptible to mood and substance abuse disorders, and this age bracket accounts for 70% of Canada’s postsecondary students. This news comes at an appropriate time, conveying an increase of mental health awareness within Canada. The hope is that with this Parliamentary action, negative stigmas that have long been associated with mood and substance disorders would gradually loosen their hold upon society. However, the real battle here is for students who suffer from mental health issues themselves. Sadly, only 50% of Canadians would readily disclose mental

health issues to a family member, as opposed to the 72% that would disclose a cancer diagnosis, although both diagnoses have the ability to rob people of their lives. Many college students face similar shame from bearing the cruel weight of mental illness. For many this burden is too heavy. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death amongst youth and young adults in our country. Yet shockingly, we see 73% of people 15 and older who are in need of professional help going untreated – not because of their lack of resources, but because they are too busy. It is an obvious reality that students are so busy they often neglect themselves; anybody who pursues higher education can easily understand the overwhelming chaos that comes with college life. Classes, work, ministry, socializing, volunteering: these are only some of the honourable and healthy pursuits that occupy a

student’s time. Sadly, though, many busy students still labor under damaging misconceptions of what is truly important. We ignore long-term issues like our mental well-being to deal with demanding here-and-now responsibilities. The irony is that the very thing college students strive to succeed in is hindered by the neglect of their own mental

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Watermelon. It’s not actually water.” -Alicia Odermatt

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Law school in question

LSBC throws up more hurdles

sarah

GROCHOWSKI

A daunting and unfortunate development has occurred regarding Trinity Western University’s School of Law, which has been expected to open in 2016. It was announced on Thursday by the Law Society of British Columbia (LSBC) that its members (6,000 of them) voted against officially approving graduates from TWU’s

law school. This decision results from the very center of a heated debate regarding whether the traditional Christian belief that sexual activity should be reserved for marriage between a man and woman is truly inhumane to uphold within a covenantal community like TWU. Many prestigious legal minds have disagreed as students and faculty of this university brace themselves for the impact that negative presuppositions regarding the Christian faith will have upon their future lives and vocations. Many Christians are asking themselves the question: is

a traditional stance on gay marriage really a vital part in defining a Christian community? One TWU student, Jordan Schroeder weighs in, “Will taking the ‘marriage between a man and a woman’ line out of our covenant end all of Trinity’s troubles? Absolutely not. You may say a traditional stance on gay marriage does not define a Christian community, but then why not say that about anything in our covenant? Does our stance on premarital sex define us? What about pornography? The fact is if we take out the traditional marriage line and only prohibit premarital sex, our prob-

lems will not go away. All we need is for someone to say that marriage is incompatible with his/ her identity, that their identity is defined by having open relationships with multiple partners. If they say that, then the covenant would be inhibiting his/her sexual identity and is therefore discriminatory. The debate is not about whether Trinity is allowed to draw a moral line at gay marriage – it’s about whether we’re allowed to draw any line at all. Any line drawn by our religious convictions will be unacceptable to the secularized world.” It is important to remember

that this referendum process is unofficial and this specific vote has no overall affect on the final legal resolution made by benchers. A spokesperson from TWU explains, “The benchers still have the opportunity to do the right thing, and we are encouraging them to think very carefully before passing any resolution against [us].” So, as disappointed as we are about the message that many legal professionals are trying to send against TWU and its Community Covenant, we can still hope in the Canadian right to diversity of beliefs and values to lead TWU to a lawful resolution.

Emma Watson’s UN speech #HeForShe movement

johnny JANZEN

Feminism is a social movement of struggle: for women, by women. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “the advocacy of women’s rights

on the ground of the equality of the sexes.” This general understanding is readily agreed upon, but is it truly the case? What is modern feminism really attempting to do? In any social movement, there is a point where ideological progress occurs beyond those negatively affected and into the presuppositions of the rest of society.

In the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s it was predominantly the black community advocating for their own equality. Now, the defense of equality regardless of skin colour is almost universal. A similar shift is now occurring in regards to feminism. In her widely publicized HeForShe address at the United Nations, acclaimed actress Emma Watson

argued that feminism could not remain a struggle for women by women. If feminism is really focused upon “equality of the sexes,” then it carries the potential to benefit both sexes. Notably, while only 16% of men polled identify as feminists, 82% agreed that “men and women should be social, political and economic equals.” So while they may not identify as feminists per se, they do uphold the most basic definition of the term. All too often, feminism is misconstrued as a movement of manhate. Such misandry surely does exist in society, but studies by Kristin J. Anderson in Psychology of Women Quarterly (Vol. 33) actually found that women who identify as feminists have measurably less hostility towards men compared to women who identify as non-feminists. The notion of equality shifts both ways as patriarchy produces stereotypes that are harmful to men and women alike. These universally harmful stereotypes – not men – are what feminism seeks to challenge. Watson frames the HeForShe movement as a “formal invitation” to make gender equality a men’s issue. Men are

Hoo’s that in the back 40?

sarah

GROCHOWSKI

As a Christian university, Trinity Western is dedicated to serving and caring for a creation often neglected in our fallen world. Regarding this ecological stewardship, since 1998 our student body has been privileged with the possession of the Ecosystem Study Area (E.S.A.), which includes 40

acres of forest teeming with live plant and animal species. Beginning in mid-September, however, the atmosphere of this tranquil habitat has changed: a new species of animal has generated feelings of fear and worry among students and faculty who take the risk of venturing into the Back 40. A large owl, which many are suggesting belongs to the Barred Owl species, has taken up residence among the trees. It has been reported that the owl has been making human interaction regularly, swooping onto jogger’s

heads, encircling students doing biological research, attacking the innocent scalps of many, and, most recently, snatching the toque right off the head of Mars’ Hill’s own Colton Martin. Fortunately, only minor physical injuries have occurred. Two questions remain: When will it end? And, aren’t owls nocturnal? Mars’ Hill’s field correspondent Jesse Phillips summarized his own observation of the owl in a recent interview: “A voluptuous mass of light tan feathers, slightly larger

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Wax fruit. They’re really dry.” -Brendon Gross

often undervalued for their role in parenting, and are often “unable to ask for help [with mental illness] for fear it would make them look less ‘macho.’” Helping girls and boys realize that they can and should actualize their deepest ambitions – not the ambitions of culture – is the freedom that feminism seeks; for them to step into the truth of who they are, not the box society pressures them into. These boxes perpetuated by gender stereotypes are metaphorically paralleled by author Mary Pipher as she writes, “I am a perfectly good carrot that everyone is trying to turn into a rose. As a carrot, I have good color and a nice leafy top. When I’m carved into a rose, I turn brown and wither.” Watson argued on September 20th that “both men and women should feel free to be sensitive, both men and women should feel free to be strong… It is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum, not as two opposing sets of ideals.” By including both genders in the HeForShe campaign, perhaps the U.N. can begin to dissolve the prevalent “us vs. them” mentality and work together for the betterment of both sexes.

than an abnormally large loaf of bread, swoops unexpectedly on anyone who dares to venture too close. Although it may not physically attack you, being in its presence is like being soaked in ice cold water; all the happiness is sucked from the world around you - in fact not even Harry Potter’s patronus could bring back the happiness this owl has so greedily stolen.” TWU’s administration has since warned civilians of this feathered threat by posting signs in the E.S.A. In the mean time, many will avoid this owl’s new swooping ground.

TWU’s own Blair Whitmarsh runs in November election

andy PHILLIPS

The municipal elections are just under two weeks away, and it is my hope that many are excited to head out to the polls and elect the representatives whom they believe will work with the most integrity for their city. The Langley Township elects eight members to Council and this year, 22 candidates are running. One candidate that many here at Trinity Western have come to know and love is Dr. Blair Whitmarsh, our Dean of Human Kinetics. Historically, the voter turn out rate in municipal elections has been low; the last election in the

Township of Langley saw only 25.9% of people vote. This number is too low to be able to gather the true majority choice of Langley’s residents. It seems that citizens have shifted away from voting within the last 30 years. In these times, we must remember the importance of community involvement; we university students have a lot of similar values and we can be a major voice within our local community. It is my hope that civic engagement and attentiveness will increase so that the issues which influence people’s hearts and lives can be addressed. There is a common belief that “my vote couldn’t make a difference”; however, if the majority of people continue to think this way, nothing will ever change. It is our civic duty to get out

to the polls on election day. If we cannot make it on November 15, alternatives include advanced voting opportunities on November 5 and 12. Canadians often forget how fortunate we are to have our voice heard; in many places throughout the world, people would love to have the right to vote but cannot. We are privileged and blessed to be able to choose our own leaders democratically. Dr. Blair Whitmarsh has mentioned his gratitude that Langley has provided him with a great opportunity to work, volunteer in the community, and raise a family. As a member of the council, Whitmarsh intends to develop the Langley Township into a place we can all be proud of. I asked Whitmarsh a few relevant questions in a recent interview: Andy Phillips: Why did you decide to run for Township Council?

Blair Whitmarsh: I have been interested in the political process since high school and I always believed that one day I would run for a political position at some point. Since moving to Langley 18 years ago, I have been involved in the Langley community and I would like to get more actively involved in the community. AP: What was your motivation to run? BW: Langley needs strong leadership characterized by integrity and vision for the community. I believe my education, experience, and relationships will be beneficial to the Langley community. AP: Do you think it’s important for university students to vote? BW: Absolutely. Trinity Western is located in the middle of the Township of Langley and having a progressive council is ben-

eficial to all residents, including university students. The decisions that the Council makes will have an impact on your future, so it is critical that you get out to vote and make sure that strong leaders are chosen. Voting is quick and easy, so make sure you book it in and get out to the nearest polling station. •In order to vote here in Langley you must meet the following qualifications: •18 years of age or older •Canadian citizen •Resident of B.C. for the last 6 months immediately before the day of registration •Registered owner of real property in the Township of Langley for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration •Not otherwise disqualified by law from voting

Battling against discrimination

sarah

GROCHOWSKI

You have seen it in recent news headlines: “Trinity Western grad attacked for being Christian in job rejection.” The details are shocking. Bethany Paquette, a recent graduate of TWU, applied for a job as a wilderness guide with Amaruk Wilderness Corporation. This Northern Canadian company responded with not just a rejection of her application, but also discriminatory comments regarding her Christian education and belief. “Unlike Trinity Western University,” manager Olaf

Amundsen wrote, “we embrace diversity, and the right of people to sleep with or marry whoever they want.” He also detailed comments of “concern” regarding the Biology degrees granted at TWU because of our school’s intellectual rejection of evolution. Following this controversy, Amundsen reiterated many of the same arguments that TWU’s Law School is facing regarding the Community Covenant. The traditional values of Christian marriage are claimed once again to be “discriminatory”; this time it was with a blatant disregard for who the person Bethany Paquette really is. Following this confrontation, Paquette took her human rights complaint to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal. Legal experts

have concluded that it was permissible for Amundsen to disagree with Paquette’s religious beliefs but there is a legal obligation that every employer has to act in a non-discriminatory way towards applicants of all religious faiths. This liability was clearly violated as Amundsen went as far as to entertain the idea of having sexual relations with God in his emails addressed to Paquette. It is clear that the real discrimination here happened to TWU’s own Bethany Paquette as she simply sought to expand the horizons of her experience and future career. This news story hits close to home, resonating with our student body’s current apprehension, especially those on the verge of graduation. It was the first case of its sort to arise regarding the

beliefs and practices of TWU and our overseeing administration worries it may not be the last. Will there be fewer chances for the graduating students of TWU to possess the jobs they are qualified for because of our religious

affiliations? Only time will tell, as the world around us grows increasingly secular and this circular argument regarding discrimination ensues.

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Tomatoes are not sweet. Fruit should be sweet. GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER.” -Steven Simpson

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

ACADEMY

ELLEN GRAHAM

ellen.graham@mytwu.ca

The Ottawa journal

On October 22nd, tragedy and grace under pressure

EMILY WELSH

hannah MARAZZI

We were sitting in class early one Wednesday, all a little tired. It had already been a long week and some of us were eager to return to the work we had left the day before at our internships. We had reached an impasse in

one debate or another, nothing unusual for our class. Some of us stretched and one of the wiser students among us suggested that we take our usual class break a little early. A message popped up on my screen from a friend in British Columbia before I could close my laptop asking if I was okay. Confused, I turned to the front of the class where I heard the words, “...shooting. War Memorial.” And then, “Oh my goodness, now there has been a shooting at Centre Block.” The rest was a bit of a blur. The following hours were spent under lock-down with the blinds closed, huddled around a tiny laptop, fielding concerned texts and phone calls from friends and fam-

ily, and checking in on our offices. While none of us were at Centre Block or the War Memorial during the shooting, we so easily could have been. It was a matter of scheduling and hours. Knowing that fact shook us up. Our house is a straight shot up to parliament. You can see it from our driveway. All day long we listened as emergency vehicle after emergency vehicle sped towards the centre of our capital, and as CBC’s Peter Mansbridge tried to bring some semblance of calm and coherence to the fear that would come to characterize that entire day. Hour after hour passed without the situation being contained. For much of the day it was thought that a shooter was on the loose, that this was potentially a coordinated attack that would spread across the city, and exactly who had died was uncertain. Around 4:30pm the lock-down lifted only to be instituted again for a short

time that evening. While the events of October 22 were tragic, confusing, and frightening, they served as a conduit and foil for many things to be brought about and revealed in the city. I will always remember attending the regular church service some of us try to go to on Wednesday nights at the University of Ottawa. In the middle of that eerily empty University of Ottawa campus we sang “Lord We Need You” by Matt Maher. I remember closing my eyes and hearing all of these voices ring out in unison around me, asking for God to be present in a yet unresolved situation, and feeling chills run up and down my spine. The next day, less than 12 hours after the situation had been maintained, the people of Ottawa resolutely returned to work in an act of unity and solidarity. The streets were a sea of black coats. The usual chatter was notably ab-

nathan BARTZ

If you’re like me, such hot topics as gender roles, stereotypes, and conversations surrounding masculinity and femininity pique your interest. Indeed, the concept of biblical masculinity – or manhood – is quite near and dear to my heart. For this reason, I am inspired to continue the discussion sparked by Lindsey Mayhew’s article, “The Problem with Biblical Manhood,” seen in the last edition of Mars’ Hill. In addition to Mayhew’s musings, I felt it was appropriate to add the distinct perspective of someone who is currently in the middle of fleshing out what it means to be a man of God. I could not help but feel dissatisfied with the conclusion that we all just need to be more like Jesus. While I do agree whole-heartedly with this conclusion, I would argue that there is so much more to the discussion of manhood. Therefore, I am adding my two cents to the conversation with

message is the liberation of men from the shackles of fear, uncertainty, and the mediocrity of being or becoming less than what God intended them to be. He also attempts to use narrative in a culturally relevant way to speak to the battered and bedraggled hearts of men who either have lost, or are losing, the spark of biblical manhood. While I don’t necessarily agree with all of Eldrege’s ideas regarding gender roles, I do find it interesting that he advocates that “true strength does not come out of bravado,” but rather brokenness before both God and others. Additionally, he holds that “Eve is a life giver; she is Adam’s ally. It is to both of them that the charter for adventure is given. It will take both of them to sustain life. And they will both need to fight together” (emphasis mine). I like the sound of that. Now, you can decide for yourself what you think of the rest of Eldredge’s ideas. My focus is the main theme he presents: that the core of a man’s being is his connection with God, and doing what it takes to discover or rediscover that connection is paramount for a man’s maturity into biblical manhood. As mentioned above, there

is no dispute that the example Christ provides for biblical manhood is ultimate, however I don’t think that other stories in scripture are to be discounted. The stories and accounts of other men provide the remainder of the fabric necessary to weave together a complete tapestry that provides a rich imagery of biblical manhood. While it’s reasonable to conclude that many of these men’s stories contrast Jesus’ example of living, they can also be complementary when taken together. The story of David, for example, is not completely contradictory to the example of manhood Jesus provided. Yes, David lived in the wilderness, killed a lion and bear, slew a giant, and poached 200 Philistine... pelts. But he also wrote an impressive number of emotionally wrenching, tearful Psalms, humbled himself before God for his sin, and fasted and begged God to spare the life of his child. The amazing thing about many men of the Bible is that, like Jesus, they were fully human; but, unlike Jesus, they were neither fully God nor, well, perfect. I don’t know about you, but I get a lot of hope from bumbling fools like Joseph, the wimpy youngest brother; Jo-

#blessed abuse JUNHO KIM

sent and every head was raised, eyes on the Peace Tower and the half-mast flag that usually blends into the skyline of our morning commute. We got to work and gathered around the TV to watch Stephen Harper, Thomas Mulcair, Justin Trudeau, and Elizabeth May make their statements. We cried as the Sergeant-at-Arms who took down the attacker was honoured with many standing ovations. We stood in silence as the guard was re-instated on Friday. We took the time to give thanks for safety, for a larger crisis being averted, for men willing to give their lives in protection of us, and for the purpose that brings us together as a nation. I think it was Ernest Hemingway who said, “Courage is grace under pressure.” If this is so, then Ottawa is city that, when placed under pressure, reveals the grace and courage with which they dai-

Biblical manhood: a man’s point of view the disclaimer that I am only one man, who admittedly will never arrive at a complete understanding of manhood on this side of eternity. First, to provide context, I will summarize two major points of Mayhew’s article, and then further explore each idea. Mayhew’s article discusses two main themes: first, she addresses ideas focusing on gender stereotypes in the church regarding manhood that authors like John Eldredge purport; and second, she discusses the proper biblical model for manhood, that being the model provided by Jesus. Summatively, we need less contemporary Christian culture and more Jesus. I admit that this is a crude summary, so I encourage you to read Mayhew’s full article in the last Mars’ Hill to understand her points in greater detail. John Eldredge’s ideas in Wild at Heart are often seen to advocate the notion that men are to crush their feelings, assert their dominance, and go on crazy adventures while their wives tend the kids, get hairdos, and make really awesome muffins. I believe such conclusions miss the forest for the trees. Upon further examination, the essence of Eldredge’s

nah, who rebelled against God’s calling; Samson, a total womanizer; Moses, an insecure murderer; and Peter, a denier of Jesus who couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn with a sword. The common denominator of all of these men is this: they all needed grace and were forgivable, intrinsically valuable, and usable by God. Despite their shackles of fear, uncertainty, and mediocrity these men found what Eldredge wants every man to find: deep soulful connection with their Creator, and a reason to exist that transcends themselves. Just like these men needed, we also need what Jesus came to offer. This is the journey of manhood and it is a lifetime of trial and discovery, full of blood, sweat, and tears – and, hopefully, desperate prayer. It is a journey constantly informed by new experiences, conversations, and situations, but it is ultimately a journey that can only be defined by the One who knows us better than we know ourselves. As I further endeavour on such a perilous road, I encourage those on journeys of their own to be watchful and stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

What is the most disappointing fruit? “I opened my Durian, thinking it was ripe. I threw up on my Durian.” -Banana Man

Christian culture loses the real meaning of the word “blessed” through its distorted use in social media. The abuse of the word stems from our misunderstanding of it. Our modern society uses it interchangeably with words like happy #blessed is probably one of the or grateful and fails to recognize most common hashtags in West- its more divine quality. The word ern Christianity’s social media cir- “blessed” holds a powerful connocles. All it takes is a quick search tation. For example, the mother on Instagram to see our culture’s of Jesus in the Catholic tradition “blessed” moments. But do we is commonly referred to as the actually know what it means to Blessed Virgin Mary. It would be blessed? What exactly is a be a very poor argument to say blessing? Is it really a new pair she acquired this name by beof Hunter Boots or Cactus Club ing a happy person. Mary was yam fries? I think that Western blessed in the state of sanctifica-

tion through the incarnation of Christ; her blessing came through an intercession of the Holy Spirit. Another example would be the list of beatitudes found in Matthew 5. This list is one of the most concentrated accumulations of the word blessed in the Bible; “Blessed are the… for they…” is the general pattern followed in a series of nine verses. The emphasis in this chapter is on the manner in which blessings are given, but it is in the latter half of each verse that the actual blessings are listed. Here is where the nature of the blessings are revealed. For example, Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst

for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” So how will those who hunger and thirst for righteousness be blessed? Their hunger for purity and blamelessness will be fulfilled, something only made possible through God. They will be granted complete wholeness, something impossible for man to achieve alone. This is a true blessing: a gift only made possible through the intervention of the transcendent. A blessing is a divine encounter, something achieved only through the sovereignty of God. So where does this leave us when it comes to the pumpkin spice latte selfie? Use your judgment. In

the past, I have admittedly been guilty of misusing #blessed. Moving forward, I do not think the caption needs to be excommunicated from the world of social media, but my challenge to you is to honor the holiness with which this word has been biblically imbued. The power of being blessed gets tainted when it’s thrown up on the end of a post to supplement our Christianese output for the day. This flippant use is #blessed abuse. But if you are able to capture one of those incredible moments that are truly blessed, then tell the world; let them know the great and mighty ways in which God has truly #blessed us.

to our campus. In our culture, we don’t often speak our true minds in day-today encounters. We hate to show weakness for fear that it reveals something innately wrong with our faith, point-of-view, knowledge, and other fundamental aspects of ourselves. A situation like Yik Yak is interesting because you could really say anything (within reason and character limit) and no one would know it was you. It is interesting to see the effect of the app on our campus. Because it is anonymous, Yik Yak reveals a real, honest, unfiltered picture of Trinity and its surrounding area. This is at times unsettling;

there are an alarming number of people who need to brush up on their grammar. Yet, in a constantly scrutinized society where we publish our lives online, there is an attraction to being unknown. However, I find there is danger in this invisibility. The ability to completely hide behind the veil of social media cripples our ability to speak truth in real life. Yik Yak allows us to express ourselves, but in doing so, we also lose the last bits of genuine connection that we might pretend to get from other social media apps. Granted, it is nice not to be burdened with the incessant vanity of the profile picture, but not being held

accountable for what we might say is a terrifying thing. The more we invest our time and energy in constructing witty anecdotes to fuel our self-esteem online, the further we get from being able to connect and communicate in real life situations. Yik Yak is great way to procrastinate, but we must tread carefully for fear of causing damage to our social skills. Our generation greatly prefers to encounter the world through a touch screen and as technology progresses, this becomes more and more of a possibility. Because of this, we must be careful. Real, face-to-face situations are terrifying and uncomfortable. Yet, when

we eliminate them, we begin to lose aspects of our humanity. I would encourage you, rather than wasting time and energy obsessing over how many up-votes your ring by spring joke received, put down your phone for once and notice the beautiful world around you.

Before moving too far in this direction, it is important to make the point that Trinity Western’s various chairs or professors should in no way be held accountable for this. Having previously attended two other universities, I can say with absolute confidence that one must indeed wander far and wide to encounter faculty so dedicated both to the well-being of their students and the pursuit of their disciplines. The chairs and professors of this school are stretched to teach and to do more and better than those of other schools, and do so with the highest regard for the academic well-being of the student body. The problem, as I see it, is a matter of budget. Lower level intro classes generally have high enrollment, which puts money in the bank. Upper level classes, on the other hand, generally have

lower enrollment and cost the university money to offer. Upper level courses must be offered, however, if the school is to continue to attract students with the promise of a quality education. Thus, a department must attempt to balance short-term income with long-term enrollment. Trinity Western is staffed by professors of the highest order who are able to teach a wide variety of specialized subjects. Unfortunately, budget constraints keep professors underutilized with regard to their potential to teach their specialties. In short, it is not that Trinity Western’s professors are not able to teach the classes which are missing from our academic calendar; it is that, due to budget constraints, they are not free to. The danger of all of this, what-

ever the cause, is that some of our brightest students are leaving our school. Trinity Western cannot abide this exodus of students toward other institutions lest it ultimately fail in its mission to create thoughtful, welleducated young Christian leaders. Formerly, many students have completed their first two years at other institutions before finally turning to Trinity Western in order to take advantage of small class sizes and unique programs; I fear the day may be coming when students take their first two years at Trinity Western before having to turn elsewhere. Therefore, I believe that Trinity Western must invest in its faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Only by doing so can the university hope not only to keep students from leaving, but to attract more to come.

alexa RAPER

Yik yak attack

ellen GRAHAM

Over the last couple weeks, the Yik Yak phenomenon has exploded on campus. For those of you who don’t know, Yik Yak is an app similar to Twitter except that it is completely anonymous. Yik Yak allows you to post and view the posts of others in your area. In essence, it is the declassifieds, only constant and unfiltered. Because of its anonymity, Yik Yak has created a fascinating new dimension

Upper-level exodus

tim ENGLISH

The end of October is upon us and the student life has become an all-consuming haze of paper writing, course selecting, and Halloween preparations. This year I am truly afraid, but it is not because of any costumes, or even the assignments hanging overhead; this year it is course selections which frighten me the most. This is because, like so many others I have spoken with, I have found the selection of Humanities courses on offer next semester to be eerily barren. Yet it is not as if there were no courses being offered; indeed, a casual perusal will reveal that

there are many courses being offered in the various departments. The problem is that the vast majority of these courses are only at the introductory level and thus of little interest or use to those of us looking to graduate in the not-too-distant future. What we are looking for, and what we are not being offered, is the selection of upper level courses needed to prepare us for the diverse array of professions and graduate programs into which we wish to enter. In light of this, many serious students – the sort of which the university ought to endeavour to attract – have indicated to me that come the spring semester they will be pursuing their academic needs in the halls of other institutions. Students are leaving for universities that offer the courses they need.

What is the most disappointing fruit? “I have no good answer to that question. It’s just good to see you, Trevor.” -Joel Friesen

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

A global transformation

david BRYNJOLFSON

As someone who is about to graduate from Trinity Western University, I can look back and see how much this school has transformed me. One of the major ways it did so was through Global Projects, which is the branch of Student Ministries that sends teams out on short trips in the spring and summer. I would encourage all of you to get involved in Global Projects; it is an incredible opportunity to expand both what you know of yourself and what you know of the world, and can be foundational in shap-

ing who you are. It was two summers ago that I went on my first Global Projects trip to Fort Babine. I signed up through a fairly random encounter with the leader of the trip and went without entirely knowing why. Back then, I was insecure and shy, living by unchecked assumptions and fears, and the experience shook my world. While there, I lived for two weeks in a foreign environment, spending my time with five other students and the locals of the area. I made relationships there that taught me a lot about myself that I had not previously realized, like how dependent I was on others and how little I listened. It taught me that many of my assumptions were wrong, like the beliefs I had about my self-image, and it showed me

that I had the freedom to shape my life as I saw fit. One day, for example, I decided I would go swimming in the lake. The water was as frigid as the Arctic, and no one said anything about doing it, but I decided I would go and the others followed. It was a small moment, but it was spontaneous and memorable. It helped me see the vastness of my ability to shape my life and the multiplicity of available paths. Global Projects offers people the opportunity to step into the unknown in ways that can transform lives. It was the following summer, in May 2014, that I went to Honduras for a month. I lived with a home-stay and helped run after-school programs at a nearby school. While there, I was immersed in their culture, getting to

know the place, food, and people. I saw, for example, that teenagers in Honduras cared just as much about their looks and their phones as teenagers here. I gained perspective on how remarkably similar we all are and as part of that, I learned humility. I also learned about missions work and different global issues, nurturing my interest in those subjects. When I was in Honduras, one of the things that struck me most was the ministry’s community atmosphere. The missionaries were a mixed group of foreigners and locals who all gathered together with big meals and activities, laughing and praying. Seeing them, I could not help but feel that that was a good example of the kingdom of God. The Gospel is all about em-

phasizing community not just in our local area, but globally, with meaningful relationships built across all barriers and founded on equality and love; I saw that during my Global Projects trip. Then I saw it again when our different teams united to debrief. In both instances, the atmosphere had a sense of harmony, and that is what I feel we strive for whenever we work in ministry. Global Projects is all about building a godly, global community. If that is the sort of thing you want to be a part of, then go on one of these trips and help turn the vision into reality. To learn more about Global Projects, visit the website at www.twu. ca/life/ministries/gps/ or stop by the office (right above TWUSA).

Shattered glass Thoughts on worthiness

izabel SMITH

There are very few things in life that can tear us apart as much as the fear that we are somehow not worth being loved. As Christians, we have come to believe that trusting and following God means that we should not suffer harm; we put an emphasis on expressing thankfulness to God for His love and protection. While this spirit of thankfulness is both good and necessary, the fact that we are allowed to question God, to wonder why suffering is allowed, is often ignored. The result of having a faith based mainly on praise is

that when something painful occurs, we feel shame as we ask God, “Where were you? Why did you not protect me?” These questions, coupled with shame, lead to the fear that you are somehow not worth being protected and loved by a God whose very nature is goodness and love. It is a fear that can fracture the core of your belief; your very being becomes like glass that shatters into a thousand shards, filling the heart with doubt, fear, and self-loathing. The pain of living becomes so severe that it completely eclipses the fear of death. Dying becomes perceived as an escape because anything must be better than this existence. It is like being stuck in a burning building with a small bucket of water and an open window, and being

faced with the question: which is worse, hopelessly fighting or jumping? Trust me, I know. I’ve been there. I was the broken girl with the hole at the centre of her being. I ranted and railed at the God I believed had refused to shelter me from harm. I pleaded, cried, screamed at Him in fury with the ferocious longing to be loved and protected, and with the desperate need to know why these things had been permitted. It was five years and countless painful conversations before I finally found the truth that I had both longed for and dreaded: we have been given free will. This is a gift that can be a double-edged blade; we can either choose to follow Him or to reject Him. If God were to

intervene every time a person felt pain and injustice, the very nature of this freedom would be compromised. Therefore, He allows us to rage at Him rather than force us to listen. He does not want a world filled with mindless puppets but with beings who think and choose for themselves. It wasn’t that I had deserved the pain, but simply that my pain was a side effect of my freedom. Still, I wondered, where had God been when I was being hurt? The answer came as a soft whisper, slow, clear, and bright after the storm: “I saw you live and laugh, and I was glad. When you scraped your knees, I patched them up. And when you were hurt and broken, I was right there next to you, holding you, weeping right along with

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Pineapple. It takes too long to peel it.” -Kyle Rose

you, giving the little comforts you would accept so that one day you might choose to follow me, to no longer merely exist but to live the life I have given you.” I saw the pieces of my being held in His loving hands, shards of shattered glass. Now, ready to no longer be broken, to be free of shame and fear, I saw those pieces thrown in the fire, melted down, and crafted into something new. I finally understood that following and trusting God does not mean a life without hurt, nor that we cannot question why. It simply means that when we suffer, He will be the comforting shelter in the storm, and when we do break, He will be there to pick us up and craft us anew, brighter and stronger than before.

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

RUNNERS UP ACTS 17:19-20

VOLUME 19, ISSUE 4

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

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JoshUA Boldt

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NOVEMBER 5, 2014

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Bronwyn McVEy

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Adriel Carey

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CathErine AffLeck

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Chantal New

Congratulations Michaela Mulder for winning our cover contest! We had a lot of great submissions from very talented students. Didn’t get a chance to submit a piece? Don’t worry, we will be having another contest next semester! What is the most disappointing fruit? “Lack of fruitfulness.” -Amy Goertzen

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

This Illusion

the disillusionment of the Christian faith by Erik de Lange

The Christian Life is not for the faint of heart. Every honest Christian is filled with doubt, despair, fear, and anxiety. Many of us are disillusioned, disappointed, and despairing, but we are really good at hiding that all under the illusion of faith. As we grow as human beings, this illusion of faith encounters a sort of dissolving or “dissolution” which in turn leads to disappointment or “disillusion.” But it’s only once this illusion of faith has eroded that we can make room for true belief and true faith. Illusion At first the illusion that Christianity offers appears bright and beautiful. The illusion of faith that we picked up from our parents without questioning tends to work very well for us for a while and help us to make sense of our world. We use it to fix people that don’t make sense to us; it protects us from outsiders or others who threaten our faith and tempt us to doubt; we hold tightly to things like “the plain truth of scripture” or “the catechism’s teachings” to win most arguments or to make us feel good, right, and confirmed in times of doubt; our confidence in our place in heaven gets us through those sleepless nights; and we listen for the voice of God and He never steers us wrong. But we haven’t yet made it our own. Therefore it is all an illusion. Disillusion This illusion functions well before we are confronted by that one trauma that makes us question the goodness or omnipotence of God. Our confidence in our salvation dissipates very quickly once we commit that huge sin or get stuck in that endless cycle of addiction. Then there’s that time that we hear God give us his “yes” only to have that path be completely damaging, dangerous, and unhealthy. It is in these dark moments that we are confronted by that nagging suspicious lingering beneath the surface: what if this faith thing is all an illusion? And so we become disillusioned with our illusion. And our faith begins a process of dissolution. Dissolution If you haven’t yet become disillusioned with Christianity, rest assured that you will. It is one of the messiest, most foolish, backward religions out there. Have

you ever sat down and looked at the history of how the Bible was put together? And we’re just supposed to trust that these people were carried along by God’s Holy Spirit despite having no evidence for it and plenty of evidence to the contrary? Have you ever read the book of Job looking for answers to human suffering? God shows up at the end and (spoiler alert!) he gives no answers. Only more questions. We all love that Jesus’ teaches us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. But have you ever actually tried to love a difficult person? It’s exhausting, draining, life-negating! What do we do when the voice of God we trusted goes silent? What do we do when the faith we were raised in is exposed for the foolishness that it is? Do you know how many wars were started in the name of Christ? How many heretics and scientists were burned at the stake? What are we supposed to do with passages in the Bible where it seems that God commands genocide? If Christianity is so great then why is the church filled with people who don’t live the just lives that Jesus taught? Why are the Mormons better than us at everything? Why have no historians or scientists been able to prove the resurrection? There are more questions and doubts here than we can answer. But I want to argue here that this dissolving of our faith, this dissolution of our illusion is actually the best thing for the Christian life. It’s an opportunity to see things as they really are. Lean into this doubt, because it is only once we have become disillusioned with this illusion, that we can make way for True Faith. Comfort Faith We live in a culture of comfort. We like popular truths, easy truths. We subscribe to a steady stream of Upworthy videos that inspire us and confirm our belief system in under 4 minutes. We fill our Twitter feed with like minded individuals who confirm our social and political worldviews. We spend hours watching YouTube videos that comfort us and pacify us and distract us from the gritty realities of the world all around us every day. We shop in malls filled with happy people and insulated from the atrocities and slavery that went into making them. We watch movies that present an idealized view of love

and romance and we watch pornography which presents a fictional picture of femininity and masculinity to comfort ourselves. Could it be that we’ve been using faith in the very same way? Is it possible that we’ve been using faith as the same simple, world-view confirmation? We want it to make us feel good about ourselves and quiet that nagging sense of doubt. We want the faith to salve our anxieties and quiet our growing sense of despair. But the more our faith and obedience grows, the more trials and sufferings we will endure (For examples of this look at the book of Job and Christ’s promise of persecution to the disciples on numerous occasions). This illusion of faith is not true faith at all. It’s a sneaky imposter that bears more similarity to the security and comfort of Cat Videos and Upworthy worldview confirmation. True Faith As the illusion encounters dissolution, as our cheap faith collapses, as our happygo-lucky Christian clichés hold no more power and our airtight systematic theologies fall in on themselves we encounter the abyss, an abyss that can only be traversed via True Faith. This claim to True Faith, however, does not necessarily clear up the disillusionment that many of us still experience. In fact, this type of faith might be even more disillusioning than the illusion of faith we began with. There seems to be nothing to hold onto here, nothing to grasp. True Faith seems to be more of an illusion than the false faith it is eroding. So we’re stuck in between, and there is a temptation to either fortify the walls of our illusory religion or abandon the whole thing completely. But even in the process of abandoning faith, we are not throwing off one worldview in exchange for a neutral, “secular” worldview, we are merely exchanging one set of potentially false beliefs for another. We need something else. We need something more than our temporal minds can offer. We need something deeper. The good news is, as Augustine put it, our souls will never find rest until they find their rest in God. So rather than fortify the walls of our illusion, and rather than seek out certainty, I want to encourage us to allow them to come down. I want to encourage us to doubt. How big do we think that God is? If God is around

our size, maybe a little bigger, then we certainly should surround him with airtight systematic theology or perhaps find a bigger God (be it science, certainty, comfort, or materialism). But if our God is truly all powerful, then we should be able to doubt, question, and wrestle with him as Jacob did in Genesis. If you are doubting, that is good! Don’t hide from it! God can take it. True Faith is not an agreement to certain facts. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the belief in a being who exists beyond the scope of our brains. True Faith requires us to lean into paradox, to embrace despair and lamentation, not to find catchy phrases or clever ways to suppress despair or explain away paradox. True Faith requires the admission of our imperfection and our inability to succeed. True Faith is trust in something and someone bigger than ourselves. True Faith is not something we believe in order to be right, True Faith is an admission that we are wrong, and a trust in the only One who is right. And if that True Faith seems like an order too tall, know that you don’t need to make this leap of faith on your own but that Jesus has already made it for you. On the cross as Jesus cried out “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” we can hear him experiencing all of the same pain, disillusionment, and despair as we have and yet and the end of his life lovingly and obediently saying “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” We don’t need to be the ones to traverse the abyss via illusionary faith, because Christ has already done it for us. Disillusionment, doubt, and despair are natural to the Christian, but they don’t need to be fought against, we just need to trust that they’ve already been put to death. So don’t be afraid of disillusionment. John 16 ends with “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We can cling to Christ, who has carried the weight of all of our doubts and despair and disillusionment and put them to death with himself. Trusting that he knows what he’s doing even if we don’t. Trusting that he has right belief even we don’t. Trusting the one who carried our disillusionment to the point of death and emerged victorious. It’s good news. But don’t take my word for it, trust his.

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Cactus pear. There’s a moment wher eyou realize it’s not a pear; it’s a cactus.” -Ryan and Mark Boston

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Love could be the most disappointing fruit of the Spirit. But that’s why we have patience and joy!” -CJ Janzen

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

CREATIVE

inspired by

[spaces]

A cruel angel’s thesis

Entry Dated: Nov 3 God has been good to me these last few weeks, it seems. But I really should not allow myself to use such jargon—God has been good to me. I feel that, as an atheist, I have no right to Christian rhetoric. But we atheists have no lexicon of our own, so what can we do? At least I have made excellent progress in wooing Olivia. I have uttered but a single sentence to her, and already she despises me. I enlisted Chris to slander me at least once every time he has class with her. Chris was confused by my request, since it seems counter to my intention to date Olivia. But for that very reason he is going along with it, since he believes that Olivia and I are unequally-yoked. In keeping us apart, he thinks he is protecting her dear soul. God bless that dear, sweet boy! So far, Chris has told Olivia that I am a narcissist, and the most ungodly person he knows. I am also having Chris tell her outrageous rumors about me. Chris has so far told Olivia that I have been banned from the Mars’ Hill, due to a number of de-classified death-threats they received in response to satirical articles I had written the year before (a lie). He also told her that I was denied a position with the orientation staff because administration thought that I

would corrupt freshmen minds (barely even a lie). In abnormal psychology, the only course Olivia and I share, I now antagonize her to the point of intellectual harassment. Every time she speaks out in class, I immediately raise my hand and refute or undermine her point, even if I actually agree with what she said. I am always careful to sit in her line of view, so that she may visually identify her offender every time. I never let her catch me looking at her. One memorable class: the subject was sexual addiction, and we were discussing the ethics of masturbation. Olivia and most of the class took the ‘C.S. Lewis position’ that masturbation is wrong because sex is a gift from God to be shared with others, while self-love is just selfish. Olivia raised her hand and said so. Then I raised my hand. I countered that masturbation must be seen as acceptable in the case of sexual offenders; it is better to have pedophiles and rapists masturbating to themselves, than to have them satisfying their deviant urges on would-be victims. The professor agreed with me, and Olivia rewarded me with a furious glance, which had really been a long time coming. This was not the first time I infuriated her, and it certainly won’t be the last!

By means of a TWUSA contact, I discovered she belongs to a small group of writers who meet weekly on campus to critique each other’s work. I made a point to attend their Saturday meeting in the English Department lounge. Most of the members, it turns out, are fantasy-junkies. I don’t like fantasy-junkies, or even fantasy at all—I have never been able to enjoy Lewis or Tolkien. As teenagers, these fantasy junkies tend to write fan-fiction and later on spend more time inventing imaginary worlds in their heads than actually writing stories that take place within them. I sat back in silence as they shared and critiqued their pieces, mostly blueprints for new tribes and fauna to occupy fantasy worlds. A couple flash fictions slid about the table. My heart was beating with anticipation when it was finally Olivia’s turn. She offered a poem for the slaughter, which I present here in full: The Mirror Buy and stitch on the luxurious frame Roses, crosses, all filthy rags and brass. One’s eyes wander away from the glass, And flatter the frame rather than the face. Keep the light dim, for it keeps no secrets, One learns too much when it illuminates.

Place on the face muds of different tastes, A frozen surface, indifferent to light. And buy not a glass which reflects truth. Have bumps, angles, and other distortions. An asylum of faces causes omissions Of the deformations scarred in one’s face. For sight and mockery is death to demons, Which screech and whine under the skin, Which soothe our rotted forms from within. Better psychosis than loss of our demons. Here I must make an embarrassing confession. I may be an English major, but I simply do not get poetry. I cannot write poetry. I do not enjoy reading poetry. Poetry scares me. I can dissect poems for literary devices well as any of my colleagues, and I can extract theme statements that could give Sparknotes a run for its money. But I simply lack that sense organ that allows even the nearly-illiterate to revel in the sublime aesthetic bliss that the ambiguous harmony of words and sounds and rhythms that compose poetry can inspire. Music does not move me either. I have never enjoyed any kind of music. Something in me is missing, I suppose – but I’ve never been too concerned about it.

Despite my handicap, I knew Olivia’s poem was nothing to scoff at. I sat silently in my seat, quite humbled. The other writers cautiously interpreted “The Mirror” without critiquing it, for it is impossible to critique poetry unless it is terrible. I remained silent for the remainder of the workshop, as did Olivia. I watched her out of the corner of my eye. I think she may have been watching me. When the group disbanded and I moved across the lounge to leave quickly, she stood still in front of her chair and spoke my name. I turned around and faced her. Her face was intentionally calm, too calm, but not quite tensed enough to be stoic. She asked: “What did you think of my poem?” Her question marked a major victory for me – but I could not enjoy it then. My mouth fell and remained open for several seconds before I actually spoke. “I think that poetry ought to strive to achieve that which prose cannot.” I stood there maybe ten seconds longer. Neither of us looked at one another as we each tried to fathom the meaning of my cryptic nonsense. I left the lounge before 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 most disappointing fruit? “The forbidden fruit.” -Gerald Rosenau

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

ARTS & CULTURE

MACKENZIE CAMERON

mackenzie.cameron@mytwu.ca

What’re you afraid of?

charissa HURT

As an artist, I find myself continually confronted with fear. Whether it is fear of failure, fear of the past, fear of vulnerability, or fear of criticism, these are factors that the artist is constantly facing and working through. I asked some artists on campus to anonymously answer a few questions about the relationship between art and fear; here’s what they had to say: Q: In your opinion, how does fear relate to art? A: It’s a fear of self. A fear of losing all of my self in the process and letting other people in to see that. At the same time, I fear not doing it fully enough because that will create “bad art.” I think it takes a lot of courage to be an artist. To create is to reveal a part of oneself; to share

one’s work is an extremely vulnerable thing, especially in our society where artistic exploration isn’t highly valued. In order for an artist’s work to speak, they must face their ghosts head on, and that can be terrifying. Q: In your experience of creating art, have you ever met a time when you felt that you couldn’t do it because of fear? What was your response to it? A: I let go. I gave myself permission to fail, to do the thing I fear the most, letting go of all the needs to be great and good. But as strongly as I let go of the unnecessary, I grabbed hard onto the tangible, the beautiful, and helpful tools. Q: What are your biggest fears as an artist? A: I fear feeling naked in front of others. When I create art, it becomes a part of me. It is a part of me. It’s like having a child and letting it grow up. All the ways that people would see into my own heart and understand me so deeply. Did I want to

1) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Oh, the pathos and imagination that went into this film – a specific creative idea that captures such a painful and universal sentiment. The brilliant storytelling mind of Charlie Kaufman meets the whimsy and vision of director Michel Gondry in a film that has neither precedent nor antecedent. Not to mention that it represents the finest acting of Jim Carrey’s career coupled with all the quirkiness and honesty of Kate Winslet’s role as Clementine. A warning, though: if you’ve ever been in love, this film will mess you up.

be known so well? I wasn’t sure. Sometimes I think it’s the anticipation that scares me the most. The what ifs. The way I imagine it to be and the way it never really happens. I am often afraid that my work won’t be understood, or that people won’t receive everything I try to give them. Q: How can fear help or hinder the creation of art? A: I think that when an artist gives in to fear, they sell themselves short. It’s easy to just give half of yourself to avoid facing the thing you’re scared of, but what you get as a result is half-assed. The most beautiful pieces of art require a sacrifice on the artist’s part. To birth something is painful, but in some ways it’s the struggle that gives it value. Fear destroys art because it destroys us, and we are at the core of

2) Jesus Christ Superstar (1973 version) The famous musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber gets a film debut at the height of the Jesus People movement. This film follows Judas, its main character, as he gives voice to the questions and doubts we all have but are sometimes too afraid to ask. Not only that, but this particular version of the show gives a stunning and beautiful human portrait of the suffering, mystery, and passion of Jesus Christ that will tempt even the most staunch atheist to believe.

our art, making it happen. Fear can inspire and push us to do better. As diverse and profound as these responses are, we can notice some similarities between them. It is evident that creating art is a vulnerable action, that it is risky. In the process of creating art, the

3) The Big Lebowski In what can be called the greatest movie of the smallest consequence, the Coen Brothers shine. You probably won’t get it on your first viewing, probably not even on your second, but as you continue to spend time with the Dude ( Jeff Bridges), Walter ( John Goodman), and Donny (Steve Buscemi) you will recognize the wit in the confusion, the hysterical in the banal, and the profound in the inane. If you don’t watch this movie, you are entering a world of pain. It’s not for the faint of heart, as it features over 300 f-bombs, female nudity, and German nihilists – but don’t worry, they’re cowards.

artist reveals a part of himself or herself. Therefore, the act of creating art requires courage from the artist. These responses show that when an artist gives into fear, it hinders the art. To begin to trust the work is to begin to overcome fear as an artist.

4) Annie Hall I can’t effectively capture the films that have inspired me without mentioning Annie Hall. Woody Allen’s greatest and most popular film to date surrounds the failed romance of a young Jewish comic, not unlike Allen himself, and a sweet, naïve woman named Annie Hall. Through the course of the film, we experience the sharp wit and keen artistic eye that we’re used to, but we also get to see his warmth and heart in ways unparalleled by his newer works. The modern romance film, perhaps most notably including (500) Days of Summer, is indebted to this film in many ways.

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Strawberries. They’re not straws.” -Stuart Knott

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Dancer and the disbelief

mario MATIAS

It was August 2011, just one month before I was to start my freshman year at TWU. Like any other soon-to-be university student, I was a mixture of nerves, excitement, and fear. While the nerves and excitement were normal, the fear was destructive, and eventually led to a sense of disillusionment. Just before attending TWU, I decided to give up dance. I had only been dancing for three years, which is nothing in the dance world, however within those

three years, I can humbly say that I accomplished a great deal. From the time I began my first experience on a dance team, I knew that dance was a gift from God. Along with two friends, I created a dance team for fun, although it eventually became a small dance company with a more serious direction. We decided to call the group “Epiphany,” which means a “sudden realization of great truth.” For us, the great truth is that God has given us an artistic gift, which we can use to make a difference in our community as a way to serve God. Before attending TWU, I forgot all about that. Despite my accomplishments, I was very insecure about my dance career. While dance has many benefits,

including friendships, community, and a strong work ethic, it can also bring great disappointment. It’s a dog-eat-dog competitive world that places value upon meeting certain standards and criteria. I didn’t feel anywhere close to meeting those standards, and so, with my freshman year approaching, I thought it best to give up dance. Friends and family who had supported me during my initial years questioned why I was giving it up. I would quickly answer, “I want to focus on school,” but deep down, my reason was my insecurities: I didn’t believe I was, nor that I could become, good enough. Constantly, I was plagued by fears of being compared to “successful” dancers, so I convinced my-

self that dance was no longer for me. I was so disillusioned that I completely took God out of the picture. Fast-forward to the second semester of my first year, when God finally spoke up. After months of not dancing, I felt God prompting me to pursue it again. There was an emptiness in my everyday life, even though I knew that I had a talent and a tool to serve God. The realization that I was not putting it into action, coupled with the realization that I had ignored all that God had done for me through dance, led me right back to it. By remembering to put God at the center of my artistry, my whole perspective of dance changed. Dance was no longer about

15 GREGORY REESE

trying to be the best or molding to the standard; it was my calling. Just before second year, I decided to put my academics aside to focus on building myself as a dancer and building up Epiphany. It has now been two years since I made that decision, and even though the journey has been difficult, God’s grace and provision have helped to build up Epiphany again. Epiphany is now a part of one of Canada’s top urban dance studios, Studio 604, and the company has had 60 dancers ranging from ages nine to twenty-four. With God’s guidance, I am where I want to be with my dance career, and though it took many steps to get here, the first was to release and dismiss my disbelief.

a conversation on Art and Faith with Paul Muir

mackenzie CAMERON

MEREDITH RADWANSKI & MEGAN RAVERTY

Not Magnificent

by Ty Hanlon

Pondering the significance of life? Contemplating your current direction? Regretting past decisions? Then these are the songs for you. I hope that this playlist can be a refuge for your disappointment – not a factor in it. “Tenenbaum” - The Paper Kites “Holocene” - Bon Iver “Dying Now” - Noah Gundersen “Hard to Find” - The National “Equally Skilled” - Jon Foreman “Yawns” – Frightened Rabbit “Everything’s Different, Nothing’s Changed” - Armon Jay “End of the Affair” - Ben Howard “Basket” - Dan Mangan “From Gold” - Novo Amor

Not what I thought (When movies suck)

sidsel RICHMOND

My dad once asked me, “What’s the difference between a book and a movie?” I was young, caught in the Family Channel craze and uncommunicative TV stupors, and so his question made me squirm. He finally told me that, “with books you create your own worlds, own landscapes, and own images. Movies do all that fun work for you.” Any avid reader will tell you there’s nothing as rich as entering into the words of a new book; the construction of characters and landscapes adds to your cache of personalized inverses until it’s so full and exciting that you want nothing more than to be in that world yourself. We all have that book we read in our tween years that we wished with every fibre of our being we could be a part of (Harry Potter, anyone?). When

a movie is based on a book, you can almost always guarantee one of two responses: 1) It wasn’t how I pictured it in the book, and 2) I haven’t seen it, I want to read the book first. Translation: My imagination is a bigger blockbuster than this movie will ever be/my imagination is freaking flawless and I can do better! Take that Hollywood! The imagination isn’t tied to a budget, after all. The worlds that movies create can most certainly blow you away, but the connection you create with every turn of the page will always be missing. The universal truth behind the book to movie conversion is this: it’s never going to be quite as special as drawing up your own world from your beloved books. So is the book to movie franchise killing our imagination? No. It may at times leave our imagination underused, but time and time again we come back to the fact that in the folds of our infinite minds are worlds far more breathtaking that what the big screen can offer, and luckily that’s the way it’ll always be.

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Melons. They look so good in fruit cups, but when put one in your mouth, it tastes like lies.” -Amy Neilson

Mars’ Hill: What is your involvement with the arts? Paul Muir: Well, my title is Education Director at Rosebud School of the Arts in Rosebud, Alberta, and Resident Company Member with Rosebud Theatre. It means that in addition to running the education department at Rosebud, I am also an actor and a director with the theatre. Here at Trinity Western University, I am thrilled to serve as an Artist-inResidence. MH: Why do you do what you do? PM: This is something I ask myself often! Here’s a story. When I was about five, my parents took me to a production of Hair – which I’m not sure if a five-year-old should go and see, but nonetheless, we did. At the end of the first act the music was going and the cast were inviting audience members onto the stage. I stood up, looked at my mom and my dad, and asked if I could go. I think they were utterly shocked, as in, “Whose son are you?” They said yes, and I ran down there because even though I was just a little kid, it affected me deeply and I wanted so badly to be a part of that. And then, of course, everything kind of went from there. I don’t think I understood the potential for art to be a vehicle for healing until high school. I was finally beginning to grieve my dad’s death at the time and it was acting in a production of Godspell that somehow gave me permission to allow those feelings to have a voice. It had been six or seven years since his death, but I hadn’t done any grieving up until

that point. Additionally, I saw how it was a vehicle for healing for the other cast members and then consequently for the people who came to see it. I think once I discovered that, I knew that storytelling was something I had to be a part of due to its transformational potential. Transformation – that’s the core; that’s the answer. Why am I involved in the arts? Because of its potential as a vehicle for transformation. MH: How has working in a creative capacity impacted your faith? PM: Again, I think it comes back that production of Godspell in high school. I was in a public school but our drama teacher, Millard Foster, was heavily involved in the church. There were things that he would be saying and doing with this production of Godspell that kept going in and somehow that process was making all these connections for me between faith and art. That was the seed. Fa s t - f o r w a rd a few years, and I met one of my first mentors in my freshman year at King’s College in Edmonton: Morris Ertman. He was the teacher of the sole drama course at the time, and he was a professional theatre artist and a Christian. I felt like I got a picture from him of a kind of faith that didn’t have an apology attached to it and there was a deepening of how that connects to art. Everything he did, even though he was a total cynic at the time, was connected

to his faith. It was the combination of my friendship with Morris and other mentors, and discovering artists like U2 and Bruce Cockburn – artists who weren’t abashed about loving God – that helped to shape my view on faith and art. It makes so much sense now when I look at my life; I can’t separate the two. It’s like everything that I do is creatively connected to what I believe. MH: What has art taught you about God? PM: I think it’s so tricky, and so perfect, and so beautiful that faith is such a personal thing and how that comes into being. It’s the struggle of figuring out how to foster something that is so personal and so intimate but somehow practice it collectively. I feel it’s a pitfall that

much of Western Christianity often tries to say, “This is how you do it, everybody!” I certainly grew up with some of that and saw the hypocrisy in it, and just wanted to scream blue bloody murder in opposition and run the other way because it didn’t make any sense. It didn’t make sense that there was only one way to be a person of faith. And so what art has taught me about God is that it’s allowed a deepening of my faith, my relationship with God, by allowing me to find deep, meaningful expressions of who and what God is. It happens through our creative work. In many ways I attribute what I feel is a very intimate and personal relationship with God to my work as a theatre artist. I don’t attribute it to going to church or a specific sermon. I also attribute it to all the fabulous mentors that I’ve had in my life, and the stories of faith I’ve been privileged to be part of over the years. MH: When do you feel closest to God? PM: I feel closest to God when I feel the spirit moving, and that happens all over the place. It could happen in a concert, it happened watching the news about the shooter in Ottawa, it could happen in the rehearsal hall. In all of those ways, in all of those times, what I’ve learned is to just get the heck out of the way. I can mess it up pretty bad, so the more I get out of the way, the better. MH: What kind of a role do you think arts can play, or are currently

playing, in our culture? PM: Years ago, I remember feeling that God was speaking to me, saying that my life was going to be about reclaiming the arts for the kingdom of God. That language sounds like Christianese to me now, but there’s a lot of truth in it. I had my own ideas about how I was going to do this, but then of course when I realized what it was meant to be, it was nothing I could have ever anticipated. God’s like that. I feel our place in culture is to speak words of faith, healing, redemption, and transformation. The place of art in culture is transformation. Whether it’s intentional or not, regardless of our position on faith, I think we look to the arts for transformation. We look to the arts to change us. We even go to the movies to be affected. Even if it’s a crazy comedy, we laugh our guts out and that changes us somehow. Or we go to a beautiful drama and we weep with our heroes and heroines. We get transformed. So that’s the place of art; that’s why we have it. I probably should say something about glorifying God. It’s funny, you think about the artists in the Old Testament building temples, writing psalms, and such – and yes, it is about glorifying God, but something about that bothers me. I do believe God loves beautiful things, but he also loves ugly things. He’s in the business of making ugly things beautiful. That’s grace. It’s the act of doing or creating that glorifies God. If I love God I don’t need to try to glorify Him, because in the end I won’t be successful. I can never direct a play that’s as incredible as the miracle of birth or contains the beauty of a sunset, but I believe God honours the act of doing. It must be that God loves what art does more than art itself, because God doesn’t need to be transformed, we do.

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Pomegranates. So much effort, not enough reward.” -Janet Pogorzelski

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

SPORTS

CONNOR EWERT

connor.ewert1@mytwu.ca

Spartans once again aiming for the top

Men’s volleyball preview

connor EWERT

The TWU Spartans men’s volleyball team will once again enter the season as serious contenders for their 4th CIS championship in the last nine years. The

No. 2 Spartans are off to a great start, winning four of their first six games, with both losses at the hands of the nation’s top ranked Alberta. TWU went 6-1 during the pre-season, where they traveled overseas to China and played a couple games against Chinese university squads. They also played a friendly game of basketball against a competitive Chinese women’s team.

Coming into this season, the Spartans have a couple holes to fill from the loss of outside hitter Brad Kufske, and down the middle where the loss of Lucas Van Berkel will be significantly felt. Van Berkel was arguably the nation’s best middle, and was a 1st team All-Canadian and a player on the national team, so the loss of his large 6’9” frame will definitely

Although Van Berkel will be missed, this provides 5th year Branden Schmidt with the marquee role of policing the middle, as well as allowing Danny Grant to step up into a starting role. A supporting cast of Levi Wolthuis – from Edmonton Christian, where Van Berkel also hailed from – and freshman Aaron Boettcher will also provide great depth.

Key returnees include Tyler Koslowsky, 2013-2014 CIS rookie of the year Adam Schriemer, Blake Scheerhorn, and Ryan Sclater, who all coming back into starting roles to begin the year. Fifth year and 2nd team all-Canadian Nick Del Bianco is also back for his last season on the Spartans – although he has been sidelined with a hamstring issue, he will return to action as soon as possible. On the defensive side, 4th year libero Tyler Koslowsky is coming off a season where he was 3rd in the conference in digs and will once again be the leader of the defense. Reigning CIS coach of the year Ben Josephson is coming into his eighth year as head coach and will once again be leading his team not only on the court, but also off the court as he leads their growth into loyal and serving members of the TWU community. The men’s volleyball team will not necessarily go the course of the season flying high in Canada West and CIS, but come the new year and crunch time, this team will be right there in thick of it, as they have been for the better part of the last decade. The men’s volleyball team has this coming weekend off, but four of the remaining six games in the fall semester are at home at Langley Events Centre.

Fancy Stats

connor EWERT

I’m sure you have seen Moneyball and, much like me, wondered to yourself, “Does anyone do that for hockey?” Well, the answer is, “Yes, in fact, they do!” Hockey is a much different sport than baseball and the stats in hockey are much more difficult to track, but advanced hockey stats, known as analytics, are growing and revolutionizing the way fans and teams evaluate their teams and players. Many teams have created an analytics department comprised of extremely knowledgeable staff and even hockey bloggers. I will here outline why the average hockey fan should care about two examples of advanced stats named after an unidentified hockey blogger (PDO) and after a former NHL goaltender (Cor-

si), respectively. The first and most crucial concept in understanding analytical thinking in hockey is shots. Shots are goals, except they include those that do not go in the net. We care about this number because it gives us shooting percentages, which is the percentage of team’s shots that go in; however, this is not a sustainable skill. We can evaluate a team or player’s luck in shooting through PDO. No one knows what it stands for, because its creator was an Internet blogger with the username and handle of “PDO.” PDO is simply the shooting percentage + save percentage. If the number is over 1000, it means your shooting or saving is better than that of your opponents. Puck possession is a very large part of hockey because the more you control the puck, the more opportunities you have to generate scoring chances and the less opportunities there are for opponents. The NHL does not track this, which is where Corsi and Fenwick come into play. They

are essentially shotbased metrics. Corsi considers all shots + shots missed + shots blocked and Fenwick is the same with the elimination of blocked shots. It is most often shown as a percentage: Corsi For %, or CF%. If the Canucks had a 58% Corsi, it would mean that of all the Corsi events that took place in the game, season or sample size, 58% of them were taken by the Canucks. It is, however, important to understand that these are simply analytics, not the be all end all for hockey teams and players. In the 2011-12 regular season, the Los Angeles Kings entered the playoffs as the 8th seed and were ranked 30th, dead last in the league, in terms of their shoot-

Where are they now?

connor EWERT

Mars’ Hill: What is your fondest memory of being a Spartan? Todd Dutka: Constantly being in an environment that encouraged excellence in both sport and character MH: What are one or two highlights you remember from being on a road trip with your team? TD: Winning the Canada West Gold Medal in 2006 (it was a very powerful moment as it was the final year for many of our players and it was a great joy to have completed our years of very hard work victoriously) Scoring a goal against U of Toronto at Varsity Stadium in Toronto (the field was the longtime home to the Canadian National Team; it was amazing running back to my teammates to celebrate with the CN Tower in the background MH:If you could have played another sport as a Spartan, what would it be?

connor EWERT

Mars’ Hill: Why Did You Choose to Come to TWU and Become a Spartan? Blair Johnston: I chose to come to TWU when I learned that they had hired Mark Bomba as the Coach of the distance program. At the time, I was training under Jon Brown, an Olympian from Great Britain, and Jon and Mark have a very similar training philosophy that I felt the other schools were lacking. MH: How did you hear about TWU and the Spartans? BJ: I heard about Trinity ing percentage. Nevertheless, the Kings showed their raw talent through the playoffs and went on an epic run to ultimately win the Stanley Cup. The Kings had the best Corsi percentage in the whole league last year, and won the Stanley Cup last year as well. Take them for what they are worth, but analytics are the future of how the game of hockey is looked at and even managed. Advanced stats helped Billy Beane

and the Oakland Athletics this past decade, and were even the basis of the Boston Red Sox’s curse-breaking championship in 2004. It is just a matter of time when a team built on individual Corsi percentage, shooting percentages, and other advanced stats wins a championship and paves the way for others like them.

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Dragon fruit-BA name, but when you bite into it there’s nothing but disappointment and blah.” -Matt Perrin

Alumni interview with Todd Dutka

The Phenomenon of Hockey Analytics

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

TD: For the sport, I would have played hockey, as I’ve played hockey all my life; for the camaraderie, Men’s Volleyball, as during the years that I played soccer, the Men’s Volleyball team were some of our strongest supporters. MH: Do you keep in contact with any of your teammates, and if so, which one(s)? Are there any other people you still keep in contact with at TWU? TD: I still play soccer with many of the men that I played soccer with at TWU. I keep in regular contact with Mark Peters, Jason Flint, Josh Coleman, Lee Ellis, and Paul Ballard. Also, Jef Gibbons (he is an instructor in the TWU Music Department) and I met during our undergraduate years here; he and I are still very good friends. MH: Where do you live now and what are you up to these days? (job/ career, industry, brief job description) TD: I’m married to my wonderful, beautiful wife, Jenna. We have a precious 3-year-old girl, an energetic 2-year-old son, and we are currently expecting our third child. We live in sunny Cloverdale. I have a private counselling practice specializing in trauma

rehabilitation and I teach in the Psychology Department at TWU. I consider it a profound privilege to participate with people in their quest for healing and wholeness as a counsellor and to share my knowledge of Psychology and of God with our amazing TWU undergraduate students as a Psychology Instructor. MH: Is there any aspect of TWU that you miss most? TD: Having the opportunity to attend chapel daily. As a student, I cherished the opportunity to regularly join others in praise and Godly teaching. It was always a source of edification and enrichment. MH: What advice would you give freshmen coming into their first year of university and their first year of collegiate athletics as a Spartan? TD: As entrance into university is usually a time of adjustment for most individuals, I would encourage them to use this time to establish lifestyle habits that will enable them to enjoy the fullness of what God has for them here (and for the duration of their lives). I often offer students my MEDS formula acronym as a practical way to organize their daily lives to operate optimally.

Western University growing up in White Rock and attending White Rock Christian Academy. At the time, many of our graduates had gone here and my high school coach, Scott Allen, had just left to coach the men’s basketball program. MH: What are some accomplishments you had in high school or prior to becoming a Spartan? BJ: At the BC Track and Field high school championships, I came 2nd in the 1500m and 3rd in the 3000m MH: If you could play any other sport other than your Spartan sport, what would it be? Why? BJ: That’s a tough one. Growing up, I loved the Tour de France. I was always amazed by the engineering of the bicycles and how popular the sport was. Cycling would be a pretty cool sport to be

a part of. MH: What are you afraid of ? BJ: I’ve been afraid of spiders my whole life. Luckily, I’m starting to get better. I’m still scared, but I used to be terrified. MH: What excites or excited you about being a Spartan? BJ: One of the most exciting parts about being a Spartan Athlete is that the schools you compete against always write you off. Being a dark horse always keeps you working hard and motivated. MH: Who is one person in your life that has been a mentor to you? BJ: Mark Bomba has definitely been a mentor to me. When I first came to TWU, Mark was still running professionally and trained with me. To run with him was something I’ll always cherish. MH: Where do you see yourself when you are done your time here at

Each letter of the acronym is based on irrefutable scientific and biblical support (which I provide to my students), and if applied regularly, will cause any individual to flourish. The M stands for meditate, the E is for exercise, the D is for diet, and the S is for sleep. MH: Is there any moment that you had as a Spartan that you wish you could relive? TD: I cherished that time in my life and have many moments that I look back on with fondness. At the same time, that was where God had me then and I am so grateful where God has me now, and for what He has for my family and me in our future, that I have no desire to move in any direction but forward. MH: What skills did you learn when you were a Spartan that you utilize today in your daily life away from university athletics? TD: The skill of being wise and purposeful with time. As a student athlete I needed to be intentional with my time in order to do well in the various domains of life; now that I am in a position of even greater responsibility the application of time management tools is even more vital for thriving in my life roles.

Name: Todd Dutka Birthday: October 3, 1973 Major/Program: Undergrad: Psychology Masters: Counselling Psychology Sport: Spartan Men’s Soccer Year of Graduation: UG: 2001 Graduate: 2006

Name: Blair Johnston Birthday: June 12, 1992 Place of Birth/Where are you from? Vancouver, BC Year of Schooling: Fourth Year Major/Program: Business Sport/Club/Team: Cross Country, Track and Field Position/Role: Long Distance athlete TWU? BJ: When I’m done my time here at Trinity Western University, I see myself finishing my student athletic career on a high note and transitioning into whatever

Points scored by Texas Christian Horned Frogs Football team against Texas Tech last weekend. They won the game 8227 and are now ranked 6th in the country in the weekly AP NCAAF Rankings.

24 Number of games in a row with at least 5 receptions and 50 receiving yards by Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver Antonio Brown. The streak of 24 games is an NFL record.

God has planned for me. Maybe doing some more school and specializing in something, or going straight in to the work force.

58 Number of receptions in 8 games by Chicago Bears’ running back by Matt Forte. He is on track to have the most receptions by a running back in NFL history.

165

Combined penalty minutes in the Anaheim Ducks vs. San Jose Sharks game last week. The game was highlighted by 8 misconducts and 10 fights. John Scott of the Sharks had 21 penalty minutes himself and was suspended 2 games.

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Bell peppers.” -Sam Ravensbergen

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Soccer wrap-up and preview Men’s soceer wrap-up The Spartans men’s soccer team ended the season two weeks ago with a 1-1 tie with the UBC Thunderbirds. The Spartans will miss the playoffs again, with their season record at 3-6-3, while the Thunderbirds will head into the post season at 9-2-1. The men made a valiant effort, as they do each year, and they look to build on an already impressive team for next season. The men also look toward putting work in during the sum-

mer and the remaining school year to prepare for next season’s training camp, which begins in August. Some of the men have also attended the women’s soccer team’s games and practices on the side. They are there cheering them on and even practicing on the sidelines with the women to stay active during the year. As the women continue on in their journey, the men are there to support them as some of their biggest fans. The Canada-West is a tough conference and coach Pat Rohla looks to add to the already top quality men’s Spartan’s soccer team. Focused on heavier and earlier recruiting, he looks to add “only the best” that the high

It’s an exciting time once again for the women’s Spartans soccer team as they push to the CIS Nationals. Last Friday was a memorable and exhilarating game as the Spartans beat the Saskatchewan

Huskies 1-0. This win earns the Spartans a spot in the CIS National Championships, which will be in Quebec City from Thursday to Sunday, November 6-9. This puts the two-time defending CIS

kyle ROSE

Women’s nationals preview

school and club circuit have to offer for the 2015-16 season. Coach Rohla says that the team has looked through their game tapes and figured out what they have to adjust for next season. With the new recruits that await and the already fired up men’s Spartans anticipating next season, the training camp ahead already looks to have a physical and intense schedule! The men’s Spartans soccer team and coaching staff would like to thank all the fans, parents, and family for their support this season and all who showed to the home games, especially their home opener. The support is greatly appreciated and they hope to have you all out next season!

champions within a few wins of yet another CIS National banner. Not falling short of their previous dominance, the TWU women’s soccer team looks to reign again as a top contender for the

CIS championship. The Spartans have been working all season to get to this part of the season, and they are not about to give in now. They have captured CIS gold in the past, along with numerous Canada-West golds. The aim is to continue the streak this weekend and they have all the confidence in world. The Spartans have advanced to the Canada West Final For the 11th straight year, and last week was the third time in the last four years that TWU has hosted the Final Four. Looking to build on his already impressive resume, Coach Roxburgh has the Spartans preparing in every way possible for their upcoming opponents in the national tournament. Whoever it is, he knows it will be a serious challenge and tough competition for his team. The national championship tournament draws from the elite of all CIS conferences and they expect to earn their way to the finals. The members of the team are confident and ready for the task ahead. Krista Gommeringer will be be back, follow-

ing her suspension last week after receiving a red card in the Canada West quarter-finals. Fifth year seniors Jessica King, Jenna Di Nunzio, Kristen Santema, Jennifer Castillo, and Sarah Hannigan are all eager to close out their season and collegiate careers with not only a CanadaWest gold medal, but also a CIS National Championship. As they strive to make this goal a reality, the coaches look for them to be leaders on the field as well as mentors for the younger players in the locker room. Because of Trinity’s extensive winning history, teams are pushing to bring their best to the Spartans. With this championship mentality, the Spartans want to be ready for their next journey and to have the support of their fans. So TWU, you know what time it is! Be ready to cheer on your Spartans as they travel to Quebec City and start of the National Championship tomorrow in Quebec City and start the final leg of becoming back-to-backto-back National Champions!

STUDS

DUDS

Tom Brady has had an October to remember. As of November 1, Brady has 14 TDs, 0 INT, and 1,268 Pass yards. His team, the Patriots, are 4-0 in that span.

Slava Voynov was arrested on October 20th under suspicion of domestic violence. He has since been suspended indefinitely by the NHL. Voynov is yet another name added to the list of recent athletes accused and charged with domestic violence.

Ben Roethlisberger became only the 2nd player in NFL history to record 500+ Pass yards, 5 TDs, and 0 INTs in a single game. The Vancouver Whitecaps finished off an impressive regular season last week with a win against the Colorado Rapids, to send them to the playoffs. They finished the regular season with 50 points, the best in organization history. Unfortunately, they lost their playoff game to FC Dallas in a heartbreaking way, with a Kendall Watson handball in the box leading to a FC Dallas win 2-1.

New York Jets QBs Geno Smith and Michael Vick both saw action last week against the Buffalo Bills. Amongst the two of them, they had 6 turnovers, 3 from Vick and 3 from Smith. The Carolina Hurricanes are off to one of the worst seasons in their history, having lost their first 8 games. They are the first team since 2002 to go into November without a win.

What is the most disappointing fruit? “The fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” -Caleb Friesen

HUMOUR

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

TREVOR MCMAHAN

trevor.mcmahan@mytwu.ca

Your bi-weekly dose of LOLs and guffaws

Six tips to surviving the worst day of your life

feat. Rosie “The Wisdom Tooth” Riveter be more dazed than that awkward blonde girl in your youth group who only wears hoodies she bought at markets on Mexico Missions Trips. All this to say, make sure the person who’s picking you up really loves you. 2) DON’T TOUCH THE FREAKING GAUSE. Think of it like a giant fluffy Band-Aid, which is covering four gaping wounds in the back of your mouth. If you remove the “Band-Aid”, expect a wellspring of blood. 3) KNOCKED OUT or CONKED OUT? Knocked out = waking up halfway through the surgery and swearing at your dental surgeon because you just heard your tooth crunch (i.e. Me) Conked out = dreaming of unicorns. 4) HAVE A SELECTION OF SOFT-FOODS READY FOR

matthew WIGMORE

Substitute the mid-twentieth century patriarchy for a dental surgeon and a bolt-riveter for some expensive tool that rips apart your mouth and you got me, Rosie. Here’s some tips to surviving an experience that’s either the most successful Ponzi Scheme today or a truly preventative measure that will keep you from looking like Hannah Montana. 1) DO YOU HAVE YOUR EXIT BUDDY? Though I’m not an advocate of finding truth on YouTube, the videos of small children waking up from anesthesia are pretty accurate. After the procedure, you will

WHEN YOU ARRIVE HOME I mean this sincerely: there is no greater feeling than arriving on your sofa knowing that a strange man is no longer trying to kidnap your molars. Don’t ruin this feeling because you have to send your exit buddy to Superstore. Have your freezer pre-loaded with ice cream and pizza pockets. 5) TAKE THE FREE PILLS This is Canada, for goodness sake. If someone offers you free strong pain medication, take it. Please don’t use that quote out of context. 6) CLEAN YOUR SOCKETS If you’ve seen any of the numerous documentaries on the North American Food Industry, you won’t want what’s going in your mouth to come in direct contact with your stab-wounds. Especially if you take my advice on ice cream and pizza pockets. SIDSEL RICHMOND

Ask me Amything with Amy Kobelt and Amy Korol

MICHELLE KARST

What is the best way to flirt with the girl you are interested in? Would you recommend showing off the lower arm at all? More specifically the wrists? Attention Wrist Flasher, As masters in the art of flirting, we are fully aware of the classic wrist move! It is common knowledge that exposure of the inner wrist is a subtle yet effective way to indicate interest. However, Amys aren’t big on subtle flirting; we would advise you to be BOLD! Here are a few TWUappropriate flirting tips your future girl wishes you would try: 1.Coyly suggest that you attend chapel together, sit in the back, and pray that the worship leader to asks everyone to hold

hands. 2. Go for a walk through the back forty and assert your manliness by protecting her from the savage Trinity owl. 3. Ask her if she would like to discuss how you can best flirt with her over a cup of Wendel’s coffee. Amy. We are nice girls. We work hard, we love Jesus, we have goals and friends and are fairly well balanced - sometimes emotionally unstable but nothing psycho. Why do nice attractive Christian men not want us?!? Dear Nice Girls, DON’T GIVE UP! Sometimes your prince comes riding up on a white horse, and sometimes he gets lost and shows up on a

turtle. If it helps at all, this is a question that many Trinity girls (and even guys) are asking themselves. Maybe the real question here is, “Why do you feel entitled to a nice, attractive, Christian guy liking you?” We would advise you to lower your standards and sign up for Tinder ASAP. (We hear it’s got a great success rate!) Where does the wind come from? And where does it go? Dearest Wind Chaser, This is such a deep and important question to ask. In fact, we both ponder this often, particularly during thunderstorms and hurricanes. We have not yet found the answer to this conundrum; however, during times of confusion, we like to revisit John 3:8 (NIV).

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.” In this passage, Jesus basically tell us this question is unanswerable. We’re certainly not going to argue with that! Have any burning questions that need answering? Never fear, the Amys are here! Amy Kobelt and Amy Korol will do their best to answer any of your existential, theological, or relational questions. Submit your questions anonymously at www.marshillonline.com/ask-me-amything/. No question is too big or too small.

What is the most disappointing fruit? “A rotten watermelon just breaks my heart.” -Graeme Fowler

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

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. Why now a 3-week publication? I love Commuter’s Day and all Another Brilliant Idea: put the Dear Mom: Thank you for rentwhat’s yik yak? How can Mars’ Hill print so but Trinity is just so all about de-classifieds on the middle ing out your womb to me for a “girls have it way easier in the many silly De-Classifieds? Is this that res all about that res, no pages, so that people will actureasonable price dating world than guys”...is what really all that we’re submitting? ‘mmuter, all about that res all ally flip open the paper. you SHOULDN’T say in a room Are you single? Do you like a Who is the author of A Cruel about that res no ‘mmuter full of girls. all-nighter? more like all-righter girl that cuddles with walls? Angel’s Thesis series? (We’re #bachelortilltherapture #productivity For real, why do so many girls at Do you like a girl that drinks addicted) When will Norman TWU have their nose pierced? smoothies in the shower? Do seduce Olivia? (addicted, reWhat if we were blind to everyspeling good is phor dorkz #ringbyspring you like a girl with a black belt member?) Where is Nic Noble? thing but what was in a 5 foot “Let it grow! Let it grow!” in martial arts? Do you like a radius of us? hi, this is brenna. There is no place for circles - hopeful freshmen during girl that loves Jesus and MGK? I’m new here. under my eyes...so now they By the time first years are movember. #fraserapartments i don’t know how this works. started spreading to my cheeks. fourth years, the new first years Can the girl who keeps writfun fact: Chett’s first name is are gonna have been born in Lake finally looks like a lake, and ing declassifieds about Taylor Praise the Lord for period also in his last name, spread the the 2000s. WHAAAAT not a plate of salad. Johnson, please grow a pair of sweaters. word. The Back 40 Owl is like a realovaries and ask him out already. “Kids are like pancakes. The GIVE THE LEAVES SOME 1. Go to TWUSA life dementor... #youknowwhoyouare #hootyfirst one’s always a throw-away.” PRIVACY CANT YOU SEE 2. Get some FREE hot coffee who with yik yak, what is the point of THEYRE CHANGING??? 3. Mix two spoon of FREE hot you know that moment when declassifieds? Norma <3 chocolate you realize your own insanity? Repeating an outfit because 4. Don’t forget to stir I put more thought into writing Yik Yak: proving the need for As I make rhubarb cherry mufm/w/f people don’t know about 5. No Problem TWU declassifieds than in writing my moderators since 2014 fins at 3:58am I am experiencmy t/th life essays ing this My gpa is lower than my high I’m getting desperate. the trinity security gates are like score in Tetris. But that’s okay #anythingbyspring for some reason I’m always late OWL GET YOU ONE OF your parents waiting up for you because a gpa of 2,693,140 is for class THESE DAYZ!! I know all of us have watched - they ruin the thrill of staying just unreasonable Living in Northwest is worth it the cowbell sketch, but out late. And as I spilled spoilt fat solely for the purpose of Tour guide: We have one *jackhow many of us have really free milk on my paint stained When I thought all the trick or stealing seminar food. hammer starts going* ONE OF *watched* the cowbell sketch... sweatpants while sitting on a treaters were done, a 12 year THE PRETTIEST CAMPUSES. I think that kids at Trinity get recycling bin, I realized I had hit old boy came to my house Let’s just stop and take a mo*construction worker starts married so early because they rock bottom. dressed all in red and said “I’m ment to appreciate Garret yelling and cussing* it’s really want to have sex. Well, God will your period sorry I’m late.” So I Fraser’s Sacagawea boots. peaceful *hammering* AND A you know its time to graduate surely bless your union, but He gave him all my candy. #creative GREAT PLACE TO LIVE! when you can perfectly stack ain’t gonna pay for your bills for So someone put up the 95 double the amount of dished in trevor mcmahan? more like you. The divorce rate among Theses on RPC’s front door on Choose a job you love and your dry-rack trevor mcDAYUM Christians is just as high as that October 31... you’ll never work a day in your among non-Christians. life because that field isn’t Emily Roberston, you’re the Am I allowed to officially listen Any salad is a Ceasar salad if hiring hokey to my pokey. to Christmas music yet? you stab it enough Trinity Owl > Trinity Goose

THE Caleb HIMNAL Giesbrecht

age: 22 year: 3

height: 5’10.5 major: International Development

Age limit (max/min)? I’m not sure what this questionLove means, so if it refers to the max difference in age between meTalent? and potential datee, then probably Domestic language? Hometown: Abbotsford 8 years. I can cook and bake like a mofo Words of affirmation and acts of service Denomination: Mennonite Brethren

It’s a tie between Battleship and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Fave man in the bible? Caleb, for obvious reasons

Fave Bible verse? 2 Corinthians 12:10 Best pick-up line?

Biggest Deal-breaker? Terrible music choice – namely metal, and various hipster music

Views on courtship? Drama free, painless

Is this pew taken?

Best place for a first kiss? On a kayak

Favourite action Movie?

How many kids do you want? However many it takes to get the chores done – between 3 and a dozen

How do you know it’sTrue love? When her father offers me the right amount of camels Skills that make you the one? I like making people happy. Also, I can do a handstand and have a rockin’ bod.

How long before you propose? 2 years; you don’t want to be too hasty but you can’t wait forever

What is the most disappointing fruit? “Cranberries. They’re unpalatable.” - Tina Lopez