Mars Hill Newspaper Vol 20 Issue 5

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November 25, 2015

THE

TEAM

TREVOR MCMAHAN managing editor

LUCAS KOEHN visual editor

DAVID PUNNAMMANNIL photo editor

LARISSA TENORIO web editor

MATT RUBULIAK

advertising & finance manager

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.

DARBY ARENS layout editor

HEIDI RENNERT chief copy editor

SIDSEL RICHMOND illustration editor

MISSION TO MARS

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

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Loranne Brown

SPECIAL THANKS

Befriending your skin and bones Before becoming a Psychology major, I spent two years in the Theatre program, taking courses with cryptic titles such as “Voice and Movement.” In this class, we were often prompted to stand in “neutral” position—feet shoulderwidth apart, hands at your sides, relaxed posture, and blank face. Our acting professor then instructed us to release all of the tension we were holding in our muscles. “Your bones are strong enough to hold your weight,” she assured us. “We rarely stand as if they could, but your bones will hold the weight. Trust your bones.”

In a way, this is an allegory for the theme of this issue, “metropolitan”. The topic of the metropolitan is specifically a first-world concept. What demographic of individuals other

than developed Western societies gets to explore and divulge in matters of sophistication and the culturing of minds? Living the metropolitan life is only possible for people who have their basic physiological and safety needs met. For that I am fortunate enough to be counted amongst the few.

Before developing a metropolitan base and identity, a society needs to have good bones—a sound government, a united people, a safe nation.

Living so close to Vancouver, we are within arms’ reach of one of the largest metropolitan hubs in the country. Vancouver has a strong pulse with art, ideas, and innovation beating through its veins. She’s got great bones not because of her adornment but because of her foundation in equality and justice. Because of this sound foundation, Vancouver is able to further enrich the human experience through opportunities of cultural and artistic exploration.

The muscles build from the strength of the bone structure,

EDITORIAL POLICY

CONTRIBUTORS

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cameron

Mars’ Hill encourages submissions and letters to the Editor. Mars’ Hill reserves the right to edit submissions for style, brevity and compatibility with the Mission, Statement of Faith, the Community Community Covenant, and the Core Values of the University.

Anonymous authorship of any material may be granted at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.

Opinions expressed in Mars’ Hill belong to the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, Trinity Western University, its officials or its Student Association.

Olivia de Fleuriot Hanna Waswa Sarah Robertshaw Katharine Bubel Michelle Scully Nicholas Noble Judi Milay Hannah Goertzen Sarah Williams Meredith Nigh Nicodemus Jancewicz

Kat Grabowski for the team photos

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Iguana liver” - Anna Benitez-Youngberg

followed by the skin. Metropolitan is more like skin than muscle in that it changes with time, reflects life experience, and is unique for each person; our skin expresses the stories our mouths do not tell. Skin is one of the most polarizing subjects in that it is equally celebrated and scorned.

With this issue of Mars’ Hill, we hope to celebrate the skin of our society with all of its quirks and eccentricities. While many countries are still building and rebuilding their bones in the face of turmoil, I am grateful for the fact that we have skin to share and skin to love.

In light of the recent attacks in Paris and Beirut, as well as the other multitudes of atrocities occurring around the world, it may seem trivial to discuss matters such as these. We consider it an immense privilege to be able to focus on this topic. We have invested an entire issue discussing the theme of “metropolitan” as the skin of our society because it is a conversation worth having.

7600 Glover Rd, Langley, BC, V2Y 1Y1 604-513-2109 marshill@gmail.com www.marshillonline.com This issue brought to you by Garrison the space heater and Me-N-Ed’s Pizza.

November 25, 2015

MADELINE GALLARD

Ideas worth spreading

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On November 14th, a grey, wet Saturday, 3,500 people gathered outside Rogers Stadium for the sixth annual —and largest to date—TEDxVancouver event. As an independently-run initiative of TED, TEDxVancouver annually hosts twenty speakers from the local community to participate in TED’s mission of encouraging dialogue around “ideas worth spreading.”

This year’s TEDxVancouver theme was identity, particularly the ways in which we create a concept of the self, both as individuals and as a community. Artists, innovators, and thinkers presented from their own specialized disciplines and personal experiences with presentations ranging from spoken-word poetry, to drag performance, to cutting-edge satellite technology, to the environmental benefits of cannabis regulation. Prevalent themes included rethinking the role of the individual in an increasingly technological age, challenging notions of fixed identities, and conceiving the self as able to change, adapt, and recreate itself imaginatively.

Sam Sullivan, former mayor of Vancouver, began fittingly on the notion of origins, the narratives that form a community, and the history of British Columbia’s own fundamentally multicultural identity. Throughout the day, Sullivan shared several videos detailing the history of Columbia, a “proto-BC,” which reminded the audience of Vancouver’s origins as a community that encouraged inclusiveness and multiculturalism.

Questions concerning our rapidly expanding technological age was also a prevalent issue. Dan Eisenhardt, an innovator in wearable biotechnology, insists that our 21st identity must learn to adapt to the inevitable bombardment of data and information in the future. Lululemon sportswear developer Tom Wallar similarly posed a challenge to face the technological shifts in our world with courage and creativity.

He suggested a more viable view of technology that moves away from a mere technological arms race and market pull and that instead culminates in “technological epiphany,” a balance of both technological innovation and meaningful application.

Economist Marina Adshade discussed the myths surrounding female sexuality. She traced the economic and anthropological origins and development of the common myth that women do not enjoy sex and that female sexuality is determined by a market exchange for economic stability and comfort. Hadshade argues that we have to rethink our prejudices regarding female sexuality. Her presentation was cheeky and playful, earning her a standing ovation as she closed emphatically with the statement, “Your mother is not a whore.”

Journalist Esther Honig also challenged gendered stereotypes in her controversial “Before and After” project. Honig sent a photograph of herself to fifty photo-editors around the world, commissioning them to “make her beautiful.” The results she received were surprising for their variety and creative liberties, as well as controversial for the conversation and debate that it sparked among the internet and news community.

Honig believes that opening a dialogue on a universal and every-day experience like beauty is

important, and she challenged the audience to rethink their notions of “ideal” beauty and other beliefs we take as universally given.

Author and activist Ivan Coyote talked about the need to increase inclusion and safety in public spaces for transgender and queer persons. Their talk focused primarily on the need for implementing single genderneutral stalls and change benches in schools, parks, recreational areas, and other public spaces.

Coyote appealed to the humanity of the audience, insisting that body issues extend to all people, regardless of personal identity, and therefore private stalls would be the first step in providing safe places for people.

Egyptian journalist Mohamed Fahmy recounted in an interview setting his recent experience of being imprisoned for seven years in Egypt under charges of terrorism.

The interview was particularly relevant in connection to the Paris bombings that occurred just the previous night. Fahmy offered advice for on-site journalists in war-torn areas, discussed how he survived the psychological hardships of prison, and insisted on the need to promote democracy in politically unstable countries while maintaining civil liberties.

In light of the Paris attacks and his own first-hand experience with terrorism, Fahmy emphasized how important it is that we overcome our fear of the other and respond compassionately to refugees fleeing areas of crisis.

Other notable presenters included Chin Injeti, a Juno and Grammy award-winning musician. Injeti gave a creative musical demonstration on how music is a universal language that heals and builds community, relating this language to his own personal experiences growing up in a multicultural neighbourhood

and struggling with polio. Special Olympics athlete and champion Matthew Williams received a particularly emotional standing ovation for his own personal achievements in Special Olympics. Bachelorette star Kaityln Bristowe spoke in an interview on the role of persona in reality television and how it has enabled her to live more authentically in her personal life.

Neuroscientist and UBC professor Lara Boyd addressed notions of adaptation and change in her presentation on recent discoveries in neuroplasticity, demonstrating how the flexibility of the brain offers the opportunity for change and acquiring new skills. Her discussion introduced a prevalent theme of the self as flexible, and how this potential for change is largely a matter of personal will. This theme of willpower was picked up later by John Herdman, Head Coach of the Canadian Senior Women’s National Soccer Team, who talked about how success, both in one’s professional and personal lives, comes down to the daily commitment to live authentically.

He closed the evening with the statement, “be good,” an imperative for living with integrity that, when applied even when no one is watching, leads to greatness.

Each of the presentations was prefaced with the speaker’s answer to an important and life-changing conversation in their life. By the end of the day, the event affirmed the power of conversation and exchange of ideas. Given the unprecedented success this year, TEDxVancouver expects to grow in future years. For more information on TEDxVancouver, this year’s speakers, and future events, visit https://tedxvancouver.com.

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Your mom” - Ross Browne

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November 25, 2015

Kyle Bottom

Colin Sharp

Ed Hill

Vancouver stand-up scene

Producing hardened comics

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cameron

thiessen

In the world of YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, stand-up comedy, like many other artistic forms, is a nearly impossible field in which to make a name for oneself. Stand-up is also arguably one of the most difficult forms of performing art, a combination of keen writing and delivery which has been mastered by only a small collection of greats.

While stand-up comedy flourished in metropolises such as Los Angeles and New York, it now finds itself creeping out of the woodwork in large quantities in cities such as our own Vancouver.

Mars’ Hill contacted some members of Vancouver’s comedy scene, each dedicated to the growth and development of stand-up comics in the city, and active members in facilitating and participating in that growth.

Kyle Bottom started comedy like many others, with “5 minutes” at an open mic. Open mic events are no longer hard to find in Vancouver; open mics are available, and many comedians work hard to keep them functioning, feeding into the greater comedy community.

“No matter what we were doing I was always trying to make my friends laugh,” says Bottom.

“At a certain point I realized that I was doing it wrong. If I was so intent on making people laugh, I should be doing it to strangers.

So I signed up for an open mic.

That’s how it starts.”

Indeed, in an art form which relies so heavily on self-confidence, this is a valuable trait. This is especially true for Vancouver, since, although it is growing, it is a bit more out of the way than the comedy scene in Toronto, arguably Canada’s most thriving comedy city. “The Vancouver comedy scene is vibrant, but it’s also under the radar,” Kyle Bottom told Mars’ Hill. “This isn’t Toronto, TV doesn’t have a big presence here. Vancouver comics struggle to get better because they want to get better. . . I think that’s what makes us who we are.”

For Colin Sharp, who runs a weekly comedy event called Kings Head Comedy every Tuesday, the love for comedy began at a young age. “I would go home after school and watch stand-up,” says Sharp. “Tune in to Just For Laughs galas, Comedy Now, Comedy at Club 54, and more. Throughout elementary and high school I never thought of myself as more than a passionate fan. Then, while at SFU, I started writing for (and eventually editing) the humour section in their student newspaper The Peak. That was my first time being publicly funny, though just how funny it was is open to interpretation.”

On the other hand, the Vancouver comedy scene is not easily trodden terrain. “The main thing about Vancouver,” says Sharp, “is that it builds strong comics.

Crowds are so sensitive that it forces comics to ensure that their jokes aren’t based on shock value, but on actual great writing. Com-

ics that have come out of Vancouver are so undoubtedly excellent.

Phil Hanley just had his Comedy Central special come out, and part of the reason he kills in New York is that he worked through the Vancouver scene.”

For Ed Hill, who has been featured on Gotham Comedy Live, it all started with a college class.

Hill agrees with Sharp, noting “the Vancouver comedy audiences are generally tougher than a lot of other cities in North America; they are less likely to laugh unless you have something that is actually really funny. Vancouver doesn’t care about your self-esteem.” Hill is now one of Vancouver’s most successful comics currently in the scene. Ed’s “100% Canasian” tour begins November 27, in San Diego. You can catch him in Burnaby on December 10 at The Village Pub. But for each of these comics, the story had to truly start with 5 minutes at an open mic; it is there that the jokes become real. Aspiring comics must always come to the point where they get on stage and deliver their material. Our own Tunji Taylor-Lewis shared with us his experience performing stand-up. “I performed at Emotions, an event where artists would come out and show their stuff. I went up when the open mic was starting to settle down, and I completely bombed after following a tough act. But I learned a lot,” says Taylor-Lewis. TaylorLewis also opened at Stand Up For the Little Guy, a charity event which was held at TWU last year by alum Chris Nash. “That was my first real shot at confidently

doing something on stage. Going first was crazy, and the support I received from Nash was a huge confidence booster.” He also has a prominent role in TWU’s 11:07 Improv Troupe, and is now in the process of working on his own comedy project, which will be premiering March 11, 2015.

Yet comedy is not limited to its entertainment value. “My personal belief is that comedy offers a respite from the world around us,” says Sharp. “That may come from harmless commentary on everyday life; it may come from addressing the huge problems our society faces with a satirical edge.

Whatever method it uses, comedy helps us deal with our lives.”

Vancouver’s comedians love comedy for the comedy, not for the fame, not for the appreciation.

They learn to hone their craft to provide quality entertainment for demanding audiences, like many other art forms within the Vancouver arts and culture community.

“From a comedian’s stand point,” Bottom says, “comedy is about being rewarded for trusting yourself, for taking risks and being right. Every time you’re wrong, it’s a lesson . . . For the audience, it’s about seeing something genuine.

Seeing a performer you couldn’t see anywhere else, because they act and think in a way that borders perfection. When you bring a great performer together with a great audience, it’s magic. There’s nothing like it. That’s why stand up is still a thing.”

Be sure to check out the featured events below. Get out and contribute to the scene, or go support the comedians who put their heart and soul into making something authentic.

Kings Head Comedy, every Tuesday 9-11:45 PM. 1618 Yew St, Vancouver Ed Hill’s “Canasian Tour”, December 10, 8:30-10 PM. 9304 Salish Court. The Village Pub, Burnaby Kyle Bottom’s Comedy Bucket, December 10, 8 PM. 2206 Main St. Hot Art Wet City, Vancouver

Ed Hill

Colin Sharp

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Goat cheese” - Madeleine Kirstein

Kyle Bottom

November 25, 2015

In conversation

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with Iris Robin

News editor of University of Toronto’s student newspaper The Varsity

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gallard

Iris Robin is the News Editor of the Varsity, the main student newspaper at the University of Toronto. They* are a fourth year English major, and moved to Canada from Brighton, United Kingdom, in 2012.

MH: How do you see your role?

What does “day to day” look like for you in your job?

IR: It varies, depending on the day. I know I always have to check my email several times a day, and I have to take care of things like requesting visuals for my articles and going to masthead and section meetings, but, apart from that, I could be doing anything from transcription to planning future issues. I am always thinking about the next issue. I consistently have seven pages for News, and I have to make sure that every word matters. If breaking news happens, which it often does, my schedule can be completely thrown off, which is sometimes inconvenient, but it is also exciting.

What is your favourite part of your job?

IR:My favourite part of the job is doing interviews and talking to people who have things to say.

Actually, it is all of the aspects of the job that involve people because I like people a lot—everything from recruitment, which is going out and encouraging people to contribute to The Varsity, to doing interviews. I am quite talkative, but I have to keep quiet when I’m doing an interview. It’s amazing what people will tell you when you give them the time.

Do you find tensions or interactions between your job and your role as a student?

IR: There are some interesting journalistic ethics problems that are unique—or amplified, I should say—at a university. As a student newspaper, we report a lot on student issues, and sometimes students will talk about their financial information or their mental health status or an experience they had in a class, but they don’t want to be

named because they might get a negative reaction from their peers or their instructor. Sometimes they will ask for a pseudonym, and that’s a call I have to make while taking into consideration their safety and privacy concerns.

Students also are not always aware of how the media works, and they will assume that we will show them an article before publication, for example, and they might not be familiar with concepts like “on” and “off the record.” Then there is overlap between personal and professional relationships. That’s a common scenario, where everyone on campus knows everyone else.

In the context of The Varsity’s general mandate, which is to inform the student population of things that are relevant to them, one of my goals for news was to do that in a way that highlights voices that do not usually get a lot of exposure or a lot of airtime. I’m interested in minority groups and social justice, so I try to see what students are doing in those areas—there is a lot of activism that goes on in university

campuses. At the University of Toronto, many students are heavily involved in activism, and a lot of people on campus will be doing things outside of the university in community groups in Toronto.

So that is something that I really want to highlight both as an involved student and an employee of the newspaper.

Do you see your community work or activism as affecting how you handle your job?

IR: Sometimes my community work meets my job. For instance, I have spoken at a few conferences: in 2014, I was a panelist at the International Asexuality Conference in Toronto and then again at the North American Asexuality Conference this year, which was hosted at U of T. There was a piece in The Varsity written about the international conference in which I was mentioned and they just published a little note at the bottom saying that “Iris Robin is a contributor to The Varsity.” So that’s how that was handled. Also, last year, I wrote a feature that was kind of a long form 101-type piece that I really wanted to be a resource for people looking to know more about asexuality.

It was really wellreceived, and people are still reading it. We don’t have a lot of comprehensive articles like that, and I think what made it different from the resources that already exist were the interviews—the personal narratives. People like to blame the media for everything, but I know that it works both ways—the media can do damage, but it can also be used for good.

As far as objectivity goes, I am very conscious of various power dynamics, and I’m always thinking about how those should be represented in my section.

Objectivity is what we strive for, but it is challenging. All the editors, we are coming to our jobs with experiences that inevitably influence how we do our work.

I think that, as long as you can’t tell my personal opinions and situation from my news writing and editing, then I don’t mind if people know what they are.

Do you mind talking about the activism you do?

IR: Sure! There’s the conference stuff, and I also spoke at the

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Gregg” - Zephan McMillan

Toronto Trans Pride Rally, which was a really cool experience. I talked about being asexual, non-binary, and Chinese, and I think it went over well. I sometimes help facilitate workshops and discussions on asexuality. I tend to do that with Ace Toronto, which is a grassroots community group and they do a whole bunch of stuff—they hold public education events, host discussions for ace people, and they do socials for ace people as well. I’m involved with them as much as I can be while I’m a student and working here and at my other job. I’m not sure whether I can call this activism, but I certainly like to do education work and help foster conversations that help people. * This piece respects Robin’s preferred pronouns of “the y/them,” as well as the title “M.”

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November 25, 2015

CAM THIESSEN

Why bad I

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The “issue of homosexuality” is readily discussed in Christian circles, whether in entire denominations determining to bless same-sex marriages or not, church bodies deliberating how to interact with LGBT church members, or individuals discussing it with their friends.

This frustrates me, not because it is something that should not be talked about, but because it consumes a disproportionate amount of energy in light of many other detrimental and destructive sexual behaviors and lifestyles. The larger demographic in church congregations is heterosexual. So why is there such a strong reaction to homosexuality, while heterosexual dysfunction is responded to as less “sinful?”

Aside from moralizing pornography at the individual level, there are broader implications of the pornography industry which affect the whole of humanity.

My intention is not to shame or condemn those who consume pornographic material.

To respond that way is not helpful and only further entrenches the struggle. Abstaining from overtly religious “Christianese” undertones, I wish to ask the question: What is wrong with pornography anyway? Why is it so “bad?”

The effects of pornography on the brain have been compared to that of cocaine by some psy-

chologists. Statistics reveal that men are losing jobs because they cannot abstain from looking at pornography on company time. With a material known to prevent individuals from performing activities of daily living, it is shocking that in the democratic West the only law regulating the pornography industry is that girls need to be able to prove that they are at least 18 years of age. Everything else is fair game. The precursors of anonymity, lack of accountability to law, and increasing accessibility with the development of the internet have led to the uncontrolled malignant growth of the pornography industry.

In our globalized economy, it is generally understood that our choices affect what occurs in other parts of the world. For example, if one chooses to purchase Nike products, there is a general acknowledgment that this person is choosing to support labor malpractices (sweatshops) that have been shifted out of the immediate view of consumers and out of regulatory reach of local legal systems. So it should be understood and acknowledged by individuals, as well as by church bodies, that the choices we make about whether or not to consume pornography have implications beyond our own moral perfection: we are voting with our consumption.

Like the clothing industry, the global human trafficking industry exploits the vulnerable communities and individuals across the world to satisfy the increasingly insatiable sexual appetites of men and women around the

world. With the infantilization of women in media, children and child-like women (thin, petite, submissive, innocent, and frail) are in demand. These children and women, commonly taken from impoverished Asian countries, are sold in sex tourism, becoming slaves to the powerful few running the industry, and are often involved in the production of pornography. Furthermore, the human trafficking industry, of which pornography is a by-product, is closely tied to the global drug trafficking routes. Essentially, the question we need to ask ourselves is: Do I support slavery in the 21st century?

Just because pornography is produced in a democratic country, does not mean it does not contain and promote violence and dehumanizing sexual scripts. In the U.S., there are over 116,000 searches for “child pornography” every day. In 2014, abuse porn websites averaged over 60 million combined hits per month—more hits than NFL.com, NBA.com, Disney.com, and NBCNews. com; and that is just abuse porn websites.Specifically,these abusive norms presented in pornographic material are aimed at the perpetual degradation of women, often including forced violence.

Along with violence, pornography promotes the objectification of women, normalizing the use of other human beings to satisfy selfish pleasures. This objectification is of an unrealistic, hyper-real nature, training the male eye to find only unrealistic standards of beauty attractive.

The result of this phenomenon is the increasing number of men

in their early twenties seeking prescriptions for Viagra because they cannot “get up” with their partner.

It is not the fact that pornography depicts sex acts that makes it destructive; it is the nature of these sex acts and sex scripts that render the material harmful. We are taught according to human rights and law that date rape is a criminal offence, yet rape culture is perpetuated through pornography. We are taught that consensual sex between adults is the only permissible sex, yet the infantilization of women continues to spur sexual attraction towards minors and children. What kind of things do you want to promote in and through your life? Do you support an industry that justifies that kind of violence as normal in sexual relationships? If you are against rape and abuse of human beings yet think that your occasional pornography use is disconnected from these acts, think again.

This is not a call to isolate or build walls but a call to teach and prepare individuals to engage the dehumanizing sexual derivatives presented in the world.

Let’s think about what God intended sexuality to be. Let’s talk about pornography use in pre-marital counselling with the seriousness of dealing with someone who uses street drugs.

Let’s approach this in a sustainable way, implementing helpful methods with the goal of long term freedom. Let’s look at this honestly, free from denial and justifications to redeem the beauty of sexuality.

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Strawberries” - Maddison Bader

November 25, 2015

I AM SARAH On the joy of righteous anger I

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robertshaw

Plenty of things make me angry: Donald Trump, anything that comes out of the State of Florida, Donald Trump, slow walking groups of people taking up the entire pathway between RNT and Douglas,having to walk in the grass to get past the said group, slipping and falling in the wet grass trying to pass the laughing group of slow walking community-loving friends, Donald Trump. . .the list goes on.

I say I am angry at these things, maybe even throwing out the word hate a couple times, which is easy to do. It is a flash-inthe-pan anger than cannot last, the jumping on the bandwagon

of ill-conceived Facebook posts and video rants. I am not calling for the end of annoyances; being annoyed at things makes up 85% of my personality. But this is where James 1:19-20 kicks in: “Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” Righteous anger—now that is a powerful tool. It is a slow burning argument, well thought out and backed up. It is a thesis in an argumentative essay. People— Christians in particular—have to be careful when throwing judgment and anger around, creating “movements” to get what we want much like toddlers instead of harnessing that force of anger to solve some real injustices. Making the already harassed Starbucks barista write “Merry Christmas” on your coffee cup does not make

you a crusader for Christ, it makes you the real life personification of a YouTube comment. If we gain joy from that we are falling prey to pride. God does not need us to crusade for Him. What He called us to do was crusade for other people against the injustices that they face. Righteous anger comes from a place of utter security in God and results in the need to help those in terrible situations.

The joy of helping is more satisfying than any amount of likes or views you will ever receive.

The people who need the focus and power of our righteous rage are the outcasts of our society. That person

living on the streets or on welfare because of an economic and social system that consistently places them at a disadvantage.

The woman who does not get the same wage as her male counterpart. People who have to work so hard every single day to fight the stigma of their mental illness/ race/sexuality/gender/religion to be accepted in their own communities without fear. The most prevalent example in the last year are the Syrian refugees fleeing a group of insane radicals who do not deserve the dignity of being called people. These men, women, and children are the persecuted, alienated, and rejected of society, rapidly becoming the scapegoats in an international war against

the very terrorism they are escaping from. It becomes a matter of choice for Christians —for humans in general—to stop and help these people in need instead of going on with our lives. To not get angry at the refugees for being an inconvenience, but rather to get angry at the situation they are facing, and then to do something to help. Whether that is welcoming them into our country with Christian love, or abstaining from posting online generalizations of a culture that are frankly vile and racist. Sometimes it is just the small things.

So let us update James’ advice for today’s inquisition-led public: Listen to the whole story, shut up, and do not post your rant about a situation you know minute details about. God—and the rest of the internet—does not want to hear it.

Letter to the editor Re: mere profanity First, I am willing to wager that Ms. Bouwman knows she is in the company of many (including evangelicals) that, with her, are yearning for more charity and humility in this world, both in the Church and outside of it. Let it begin with me.

I personally have no investment in defending Lewis or Mere Christianity, which I read once, long ago. Were she open, Ms. Bouwman could avail herself of the accessibility of TWU profs involved in the Inklings Institute to correct some of the errors in her assertions about Lewis.

But I will confess: I have a “distaste” for the careless use of categorical thinking, because it is usually not charitable in intent and—in the present case—not conducive to sound reasoning.

This is what I want to address.

Leaving aside “the average Trinity Western student,” “ Evangelicaldom,”and“Evangelical tropes,” let’s start with “the deathbed of Christianity” Either she meant “deathbed of Christendom” in which case it is rather belated or she meant exactly what she said, showing a very narrow scope on the matter—and she might want to check the Pew Research numbers on global religious trends (there is more to

Christianity than AngloEuropean Canadians).

As for “the Christian apologetician” [sic] to which half of the piece is aimed, perhaps some apologists, along with the Westboro Baptist folk, might fall under Walter Kaufmann’s “UsThem” category (quoted in this piece from the preface to Buber’s I and Thou) in their dealings with others. But as no particulars of identity are given, this is a straw man being shredded in the winds of—let’s just call it what it is—a rant. Stuffed with—to borrow ironically from Kaufmann— ”wickedness, stupidity, hypocrisy, brutality, and ultimate defeat,” I’d wager most of us wouldn’t want to meet that bogeyman in a dark alley or nightmare, let alone have anything to do with him in our reading or daily life.

(If such evil creatures roam freely in the classrooms, halls and dorms of TWU, for God’s sake— get out, I tell you, get out now!)

Also, I am a bit dumbfounded by this hyperbolic assertion: “all of Mr. Lewis’ material is derived from philosophers across the ages.” It conjures a picture of the tweed-clad, pipe-smoking, rather demure Oxford don (who, by the way, is still considered a leading light of Medieval and Renaissance literary scholarship) walk-

ing beside a very long buffet table, picking and choosing morsels from steaming platters to pile upon his plate, consume, and then, let’s say, process into his own energy and thought. Personally, I would be very impressed by anyone able to assimilate that much breadth and depth and make it accessible to the common reader (who was, let it be noted, Lewis’s audience for the book in question).

Curiosity, comprehension, and synthesis of the kind suggested here is actually considered a strength, not failure, in scholarship. However, I do not recall that being what Lewis actually does in this book, and we are offered no evidence for this claim, other than the assessment —(I am sorry, but really— I am left a bit breathless)—that Lewis’ “writing is worse than Aristotle’s (another thinker he likes to plagiarize).” It’s not clear what is meant, precisely, by the word “writing” here—or why the accusation of plagiarism, so I will not pursue the point further.

In all charity, as I wish the best for Ms. Bouwman and other intellectually honest seekers at TWU, I want to offer a word of caution to her as she proceeds on her journey of inquiry.

It is from David Bentley Hart’s Atheist Delusions:

“But atheism that consists entirely in vacuous arguments afloat on oceans of historical ignorance, made turbulent by storms of strident self-righteousness, is as contemptible as any other form of dreary fundamentalism. And it is sometimes difficult, frankly, to be perfectly generous in one’s response to the sort of invective currently fashionable among the devoutly undevout, or to the sort of historical misrepresentations it typically involves. . . . These are attitudes masquerading as ideas, emotional commitments disguised as intellectual honesty. However sincere the current evangelists of unbelief may be, they are doing nothing more than producing rationales–ballasted by a formidable collection of conceptual and historical errors–for convictions that are rooted not in reason but in a greater cultural will, of which their arguments are only reflexes.”

May we all find companions for the journey, in books and in flesh, that engage in the critical and charitable hermeneutic for which Ms. Bouwman seems to yearn but has discovered to be very difficult to practice.

Sincerely, Katharine Bubel (TWU MAIH alumna, PhD candidate, UVic)

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Bailey’s from a shoe” - Logan Paulgaard

7

8

November 25, 2015

In memorium René Girard (1923-2015)

I

nicholas

noble

We no longer live in an age of great scholars. Indeed, our impoverished academy might occasionally produce a great scholar, but the great scholars to which we once aspired are no longer models but merely myths—at the very least, archaisms. Scholarship has outpaced scholars, and we can no longer dream of becoming polymaths, masters of many fields—the fields are too deep, too specialized, that we can hope at most to become an expert in one thing—if anything. As individual scholars, we no longer seek to corroborate our ideas by investigating other fields, for other fields are unapproachable in their vastness; instead, we collaborate. To quote Tennyson: we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are.

René Girard, considered by many to be the most important scholar of the second half of the twentieth century, belonged to an older and higher age. He pursued a vision of humanity, and saw in the careful and open-minded study of humanity the means to access the secret origins of religion, literature, philosophy, and all that dignifies what it is that we call humanity. He was a brave and bold thinker who dared to postulate ideas that address our most essential natures—the origin of human desires.

On the evening of November 3, 2015, I delivered a guestlecture on René Girard to Calvin Townsend’s IDIS 400 class, for which I also serve as a teaching assistant. I opened my lecture on a humorous note, commenting that, of most of the great thinkers whom the students in the audience were studying for this course, Girard was actually still alive. This was true then, when I began the lecture at 7:40 P.M.; however, this is no longer the case. As of 2:30 A.M. on November 4, René Girard, the prolific and provoking theorist of history, literature, my-

thology, and a multitude of other disciplines, is no longer with us.

Like many, such as our own Dr. Chris Morrissey, who wrote his doctoral dissertation on René Girard and who encouraged me in my engagement with his work, I am still in mourning over the loss of this prodigious thinker. Furthermore, I am still in a relative state of shock and disbelief over the coincidence that my lecture on Girard has become something of an early eulogy. More than any of these feelings, however, I feel honoured to have been gifted with the unwitting opportunity to celebrate René Girard during his last hours of life.

In remembrance of Girard and his prolific

contributions to scholarship, I interviewed Dr. Morrissey about his encounters with Girard: his ideas, and the man himself.

NN: How did you first come across Girard and his ideas?

CM: The first encounter I had with Girard was when I read Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World. I was preparing for a course in classical mythology. I was doing background and becoming acquainted with the different theories of mythology that are out there in the academy. So I came across Girard.

By the time I was 100 pages in, I was completely blown away. It was one of the most incredible

things I ever read. I was hooked, and I wanted to read everything that the man had ever written.

And this culminated in my decision to write my PhD dissertation on him.

Girard has a way of turning your world upside down. The question you ask is, “Does religion cause violence?” He turns it around, asks you this: “Does violence cause religion?” So you can’t be complacent in your presuppositions; he wants you to rethink everything, from every angle. And it’s that rigour in him that I found attractive, and still do.

What was it like to meet Girard?

CM: I first met him in Antwerp, Belgium, at the first

colloquium on violence and religion I attended.

I remember just finding my way into the room, where people were meeting to have dinner. As I walked in the room, he was the first one to turn to me, and to engage me directly, shooting out his arm to shake my hand. And he welcomed me in such a warm and gentle way, I couldn’t believe it. If you’ve been to academic conferences, you see how academics behave. He was nothing of the sort! So he made an immediate impression—he was a great man, who had written all these books and had all these people organizing conferences to discuss his ideas—but he acted not just like a normal person, but the most

wonderful and charming person you could ever meet. He had such a natural way about it. He immediately put me at ease. I was in this environment, in Europe, and I didn’t know anyone there. You can understand my being nervous.

What do you say to people whom you don’t know, when you walk into the room for the first time?

And he was very welcoming.

What does Girard scholarship look like right now?

CM: Peter Thiel, Silicon Valley entrepreneur, who co-founded PayPal and was also an early investor in Facebook (that’s how he became a billionaire) has funded Girardian research through an organization called Imitatio. So compared to earlier years, there are many more publications coming out thanks to the generous patronage of Peter Thiel. There’s a steady stream of books, there’s a website, Imitatio.org, and at this website you have access to Girard’s work and bibliographic resources.

What is the single most important thing that Girard can teach us today?

CM: Thanks to Girard’s study of great literature, which gives us deeper access to the human, he can teach us self-knowledge.

Many of us think we know ourselves. Oftentimes, we think our desires are our own. But desire is infectious; we catch it from other people. That can be a good thing, or it can be a bad thing. But our self-awareness of what desire is helps us to transform it into a good thing. It’s a simple idea, but its complex in its manifestations and application. Girard’s scholarly work helps us to understand the complexities. So there is an exhilarating adventure in the study of literature. In recent years, deleterious scholars have been making the study of literature forbidding, or unexciting.

One of my favourite things about Girard is that he makes the study of literature an exciting intellectual adventure again. It’s enormously fulfilling, deepens your humanity, and opens the world to you. So, I’ll always love him for that gift.

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “MacKenzie Cameron” - Darby Arens

November 25, 2015

9

COLOUR ME

Illustration by Sidsel Richmond

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

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

CanIL Language and Culture Discovery Grant $500 per eligible linguistics course! Application deadline Nov. 30th.

For more info: www.canil.ca/discoverygrant

DISCOVER Language and Culture

Linguistics

› Thomas Edison: The world’s most extraordinary failure never gave up.

Thank goodness.

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

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

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “A Mars bar” - Dr. J. Thompson

10

November 25, 2015

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Pickles” - Matt Armstrong

November 25, 2015

I

meredith

nigh

Trends shape the culture and mindset of this world that we live in with breakneck speed and totalitarian influence.

Trends are constantly changing; the cutting edge of fashion, music, style, and opinions are always moving, always progressing—always one step, it seems, ahead of the world. Recently, however, it appears that the hottest trend, bizarrely, is anti-trend.

In the past, the wealthy and famous were the trendsetters, always searching for the modern and ingenious then alerting the masses: “This is cool. This is new. Pay attention.” After years of this older system, the newest trend, it seems, is to embrace your uniqueness. There has been a distinct movement from the traditional pop culture versus counter-culture mindset that the global mind usually employs.

In this traditional model, people are obligated to conform to one side or the other (for example, countercultural indie music versus mainstream pop music). Since this shift is so significant, those with the older mindset are still grappling to understand this new cultural hybrid trend.

I credit this partially to the rise in popularity of the phrase “You do you.” More and more, we see people embracing the idea that what makes you different is what makes you special— the idea that living against the big trends makes you cool. When you think about it, however, this in itself is a trend. Society is living in the paradox of our individuality as the collective ideal.

You can see the examples of this new individuality centered trend everywhere.

We see fashion trends becoming more and more focused on establishing

“your aesthetic.” We see that music is becoming a little more “out there,” signaled by the birth and acceptance of new music genres, as exemplified by Florence and the Machine or Twenty One Pilots. We talk about how everything is acceptable, how everyone is quirky and weird, and how that’s totally cool—embrace it because you should always be your best, truest self.

If you step back and look objectively at our culture in the context of this antitrend trend, we still see certain cultural artifacts that are commonly loved: arbitrary things like flannel shirts, tattoos, or Mumford and Sons. These sorts of things are accepted as cool, hip, and socially acceptable, and for all intents and purposes, are part of a trend. But what motivates people to appropriate these cultural artifacts for their own purposes, for the desire to define themselves as unique and original?

I think that the reasoning behind this mindset is the reasoning behind the rise of anti-trend as a trend: everyone wants to be carefree and do whatever they want, whatever makes them happy. Wouldn’t everyone love to get up in the morning, put on whatever clothes they want, listen to whatever music they want, be friends with whoever, and go about their lives not worrying about what others think? It seems like a great idea. Revolutionary, even.

This is why so many people choose to appropriate this lifestyle and why “hipsters” have become the ideal.

The hipsters began all of this. The idea that “I like this even though it’s not cool” was initially shocking because it presented the radical notion that we should not be ashamed of all those weird things about ourselves that form our identities as individuals. But as this antitrend began to gain traction, it turned into a trend itself.

And so people remained within the mindset that they were truly embracing their unique identity while simultaneously subscribing to the spheres of culture that dictate what is worthy of admiration. And so, what was once a moment of true originality of a select few became just another trend for the masses.

Consequently, a huge number of people are now under the impression they are leading true, authentic lives but are, in reality, still subconsciously drawing from what they recognize as cool and attractive and using these things to define themselves. We draw our identity from the various aspects of pop culture we are exposed to every single day. We embrace the trends that come and go, and we define ourselves according to our favourites because we want to be recognized as valuable members of society. We are constantly tempted by the idea that if you are hip with what’s new and cool, people will like you and you will be a part of something bigger.

Despite the trend of “being yourself,” there are still people who, in doing what they love, are rejected by the rest of the world and demeaned as “weird.”

What they embrace as their identity is not celebrated like the rest of this trendy individuality; it’s not the “right kind” of unique. And because everyone has some form of these “unacceptable” differences, we realize that the world will never truly accept us— and that is pretty sad. We are left with the question: what else are we, outside of these external influences?

What is it about us that validates us as individuals?

I spend a lot of my head space considering my identity. I am constantly expanding upon the list of things that define me.

It is easy to appropriate the trends that we like because it is uncomplicated.

However, I have found that

when we solely focus on these external aspects of our identity, an unwanted sense of emptiness comes with it. To be content with the person I am outside of the fashion, music, and culture that I love, I have to reflect inwardly, where I take a step back from all of these good things and ask, “Am I comfortable here?

Am I not more than this?”

We spend our whole lives looking to identify with something. We absorb what’s happening around us and adjust ourselves to fit with what we like, what parts of pop culture we get excited about. Everything around us influences how we talk, walk, eat, live, and interact with others— all of which people would normally say “defines us.”

Again, we want to distinguish ourselves against the rest of the world and be satisfied when we step back and examine ourselves. We are led to believe that if we possess certain characteristics and are loved by all, our identity will be validated. And yet, away from all of this, there is a certain something else that is at the core of identity.

There is something intensely magical about meeting someone who is truly comfortable with their identity. They hold themselves in a distinct manner, in a way that makes you aware that if you stripped away all of the little facets of external influence, there is still something of importance—and they know what it is that truly defines them.

Identity is not something tangible; it is not even all the tiny ways that your environment has shaped you.

It is largely based on the idea that you hold an inherent worth, and you are fully aware that this worth is not lessened by our flaws and mistakes, nor is it increased with age or influence. This worth runs deeper than that. It comes with a certain peace that quiets the soul and says “regardless of all else, you hold value.”

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “My moustache” - Tarun Reddy

11

12

November 25, 2015 inspired by

[spaces] WELCOME TO [SPACES] LITERARY JOURNAL

The Wandering Children Yesterday, years ago, two of the wandering children, Whose mothers were wolves, walked into the Warmth of a home, where the fire enchanted their Free untamed faces with light.

The wandering children slept backs together, The wandering children slept.

In the night, the boy stokes the fire And the wolves, the guardians, glide away.

The day dawns, sky-cold in the crystal clarity of its light.

The two breathe long and deep of the frost, Children no longer. They are forged And hammered into their new angles, obtuse, acute, Possibly right.

The boy is all man, muscular and defined, so Visible against the light. His cheekbones are Scarred from a fall in the fire. Embers Still flicker in his eyes and skin.

Somewhere within there may be a fire Burning, but if there is Only he can feel it.

The girl is the boy if the boy were all woman, Soft and diffuse, refracting. From shoulder to Just above the heart her skin is raised.

The dew that steams from her brother Condenses on her skin, drips from Her fingers, runs down Her lips.

The night the boy fell in the fire he Grabbed her wrists to save himself but Her bones and sinew gave way and she Fell into the axe they used to Feed the fire.

The two no longer sleep back to back, The two no longer sleep, For the touch of one will melt the other, And the other will Quench the one.

Hanna Waswa (Vol. 7)

Madison - Olivia de Fleuriot (Vol. 8)

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

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Sorry, I deep fried my paper” - Rachel Gingell

November 25, 2015

13

matthew wigmore

On review: Peter and Will Anderson

I

kreg

lonneberg

Jazz. There is a certain amount of nostalgia attached to the word.

Even though, to many, the genre seems to be fading into obscurity, becoming an acquired taste that only a select few care enough to cultivate, it also is something that exists fondly in the heart of many, hearkening back to days past when pulse of the kick drum and the thump of the bass was truly the heartbeat of any metropolitan city in America. Visions of

smoke-filled bars, men drinking scotch and sodas, and perhaps less than reputable goings-on happening in the back enter my mind when I think of jazz. Perhaps this is just romantic thinking, but, nevertheless, this is the experience that I seek every time I go to see live jazz.

When I drove down to the Whatcom Jazz Music Centre (WJMAC) in Bellingham on October 28th to see a performance by Peter and Will Anderson, two horn players heralding from New York, I did not figure I would get this romanticized experience; however, what I did experience pleasantly surprised me.

The concert was held at The Majestic, a small intimate room in a multi-purpose event hall, not in the smoke-filled bar I had imagined; however, this in no means took away from the music.

As I ducked into the venue, about fifteen minutes late, I was greeted by the warm and soothing sounds of the Miles Black Trio, who opened for the Anderson brothers. They played a diverse variety of music, with repertoire ranging from classics, to originals, to bossas and mambos. I must confess that I have a soft spot for piano trios; however, this was still some of the best live music I have heard in a long time. The musi-

cians effortlessly wove their solos together and took the audience on an exciting auditory journey.

After the first hour of music, Miles Black called up the Anderson brothers, along with guitarist Alex Wintz, and the two trios played their rendition of My Funny Valentine. Afterwards, Black handed the stage over to the Anderson brothers and Wintz. The Miles Black Trio was a hard act to follow, but the Andersons were up to the challenge. Along with Wintz, they delivered a set filled with jazz renditions of classical music, small combo arrangements of new music, and a plethora of classic jazz tunes. The Anderson

trumpet by jdesignsp

Cat eyes and crappy coffee

I

hannah

goertzon

My search for a part-time job started in grade twelve. With my cat-eye glasses and collared shirts, I needed to have a job that I could boast about. I wanted to proudly say, “I’m a barista” and impress my indie acquaintances. Combat boots tied and top-knot in place, I applied, got an interview, and started working at a local coffee shop.

I was expecting a chic coffee shop that had four menu items, a chalkboard, and local baked goods. The Kinfolk magazines, freshly grinded espresso, intricate latte art, and minimalist vibes in my mind were all replaced with clutter and greasy beans. I was not working at a downtown coffee shop but a small, familyowned one. I learned very quickly that no matter how many videos I watched of men with man buns sculpting the perfect foam, latte art proved to be an impossibility at my skill level.

As anyone in customer service can attest, it was not easy to maintain a smiling face after an eight hour shift that started in the ungodly hours of the morning. I learned that, amidst the diversity of walking mom groups

and elderly regulars, there were lovely people who made my shift better and also those who made me want to throw their non-fatsugar-free-half-sweet-no-foamcaramel macchiato on their Lululemon work-out clothes. One time, a friendly conversation with an elderly man ended with him hitting my butt with a newspaper on his way out.

Another shocking aspect of customer service is the invisibility of an employee. This typically happens at the till, where my existence was frequently ignored and the customers would continue their explicit narration of Friday night’s events to their walking friends while I would stand wide eyed, debating whether to just walk away or take my revenge by making their drinks decaf.

Despite all of this, a positive unexpected aspect of working at a coffee shop was the likeminded kinfolk who worked with me. Throughout the lulls of the evening and the after-dinner rushes, I worked with people that would laugh at my clumsy spilling of a venti Americano or my sad attempts at coffee puns. Even though I wasn’t the modern coffee shop worker, I appreciated the smile of a caring customer and the deep talks with my work friends.

Working at this coffee shop was not glamorous, but glamor is overrated and should be replaced with light-hearted laughter.

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Ice cream” - Andrew Peterson

brothers beautifully harmonized with one another, weaving their lines in and out with the other and adding their own unique twist on each song they performed. They were effortlessly supported by Wintz, who single-handedly fulfilled the role of an entire rhythm section from his guitar.

Long story short, while my experience at the WJMAC did not live up to my idealistic notion of what a jazz concert should be like, it did leave me with pleasant taste and more hope for the future of Jazz.

14

November 25, 2015

Belittling blackness Misrepresentation of african-american in pop-culture

I

judy

milay

In late 2014, Azalea Banks’ Hot97 interview with Ebro and Rosenberg generated a much-needed conservation of black cultural appropriation in music. According to Azalea Banks, contemporary society has made a large stride to reduce the significance of blackness. Despite unwavering efforts to belittle blackness, black influence is unquestionable. Bank’s commentary was specifically calling out Iggy Azalea (who she referred to as “Igloo Australia”), in which Banks exposed Azalea’s persistent pattern of cultural thievery. Banks also boldly declared that Azalea’s presence is trying to “smudge out” blackness.

Banks tearfully discussed the black woman’s struggle to keep up identity in a world working to erase her. Sadly, Azalea accused Banks of being “hypersensitive.”

Iggy Azalea follows a long line of white artists, like Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, and Macklemore, who capitalize on African-American attributes and culture. Blacks who have similar or better qualities are often regarded as common. Black women twerking in the early 2000s failed to ignite the

attention that Miley Cyrus did in the summer of 2013. Twerking and big behinds only became relevant on a white person.

Aartjie (Sara) Baartman (1789—1815) is an African woman who was exhibited in France and England in the early nineteenth century as “The Hottentot Venus.” European audiences jostled for a view of her physique, particularly her posterior, which they fetishized as the symbol of a mysterious “Hottentot” sexuality.

Baartman embodied a primeval and African essence that contrasted powerfully with civilized European bodies. In enacting disgust and marvel at her, the white gaze ennobled white beauty over the grotesque “beauty” of African savages. That is to say, it is cultural relativism that considered “Hottentot” to be beautiful.

Venus was precisely what allowed the Europeans to mock Africans for finding Baartman beautiful. At the same time, Europeans congratulated themselves for cognitively mapping an ironic universe in which everything was a matter of perspective. Knowing the racial other’s fantastic tastes while retaining a sense of proper taste in the face of that knowledge was a core aspect of colonial fantasy. Such political uses of “Black” as a coalitional category places some pressure on the ability to speak confidently about the

“black body,” insofar as Black may be as much about consciousness as embodiment. Forms of Black consciousness require a vision of historical memory, and Baartman’s narrative provides a powerful symbol for the construction of black feminist identities in the present. The subsequent legacy of representations of black women’s sexuality—from Josephine Baker to Serena Williams to hip-hop videos—continues to refer to this persistent icon: “The Hottentot Venus.”

In pop-culture’s conception, the “Black” identity is political in nature and, as such, not always best thought of as representing a “race.” Western culture’s fixation on black visibility in the recent years is a response to how blackness is persistently seen as a problem, rather than a component, of popular culture. The “problem” of black visibility is that it’s turning attention to what it means to see blackness and to the performative codes that reinforce, de-signify, and disrupt blackness’ meaning given by non-Blacks. A dialogue is needed to discuss what kind of fetish is the black body, and how do traditional logics of racial visibility reproduce its ‘troubling’ presence across representational genres and pop cultural forms?

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Chicken” - Corianne Van Leeuwen

November 25, 2015

15

Reverend Gaga

I

sarah

williams

During the summer of 2012, I went with my mother to see Lady Gaga perform at Rogers’ Arena. The stage was set with a large stone castle and a runway connecting one side to the other.

When the anticipation was no longer bearable, Gaga emerged from her castle decked in a full suit of armor and riding a horse.

Tension built as she made her way around the stage and disap-

peared back behind the stone wall. The walls began to separate as the words to “Born This Way” rang through the stadium and, revealed behind the castle walls, was nothing less than a giant inflatable vagina. Gaga proceeded to groan and yell, disappear behind the birth canal, and finally unzip herself out of that vagina, marching out with all the purpose and class of a true diva.

Throughout the rest of the evening, she graced us with all manner of set and costume changes, ranging from a meat couch to a large bra complete with two machine guns protruding from her breasts. At one point, her backup dancers plummeted head first into

meat grinders and spent the remainder of the song kicking their legs in the air. I expected to go to the show, revel with my mother in the absurdity of her antics, and gain a few new crazy stories for my friends. What I didn’t expect was that I would walk away with the overwhelming impression that Lady Gaga had become a pastor to our generation.

Throughout the entire show, Gaga preached acceptance. She told her fans over and over again that who they are, exactly as they are, is beautiful. She encouraged them to embrace themselves, love themselves, and stand up for themselves in the face of adversity.

I could not help but wonder

where, along the way, we as a church had lost this message. As beautiful as it was, why should people have to go to a Lady Gaga concert to be told that they are beautiful and that it is acceptable to love themselves?

As Christians, do we not believe that we are made in the image of God? We each carry a unique and extraordinary part of who He is and, as a result, have something special to offer the world. Every person we interact with is part of a living demonstration of the Creator of the Universe.

Meanwhile, we are told over and over again that we are worthless, disgusting, broken, and live

meaningless lives without the redemption of Jesus. We preach condemnation on those who are different from us and, in doing so, place our concept of righteousness before our concept of love.

In losing our ability to love ourselves, we have lost the ability to love our neighbor.

In the end, somewhere between the giant vagina and the gun bra, Lady Gaga hit home with a message that God has been trying to tell us and that churches have been failing to deliver. Reverend Gaga brought us the good news that we are beautiful.

Lady Gaga poster by Raccoon Nook featured on Bahance.net

Presents are coming early this year! The first 5 people with all correct answers get a free ticket to Trinity Advent Plays running Nov. 24-28.

Email answers to samc@twu.ca by Thursday, November 26th.

Angel uses alternate universe to show a very depressed dude how much the world needs him.

Intersecting storylines, January Jones doing something other than Mad Men, the British prime minister looking hot, Mr. Bean showing off his mad gift-wrapping skills.

Green creature tries to sabotage a whole town’s holiday celebration

I slide down chimneys and pretend this holiday is all about me, when really it’s all about someone else.

You celebrate my birthday every year because I came to save you and I am awesome.

I just want you for my own. More than you will EVER know.

No crocodiles!! No rhinoceroses!!

I don’t wanna miss out on the holiday, but...I can’t stop staring at your face.

Which TWU prof wrote the Trinity Advent Plays?

How many weeks does the show run for?

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Baked Lays” - Peter Woekel

16

November 25, 2015

KATIE MARYSCHUK

Continuing the para-athlete conversation and much more at:

marshillonline.com

Events tried, tested, and turned down

I

mackenzie

cameron

With the 2016 Rio Olympics scheduled to begin on August 5th, I thought it appropriate to consider the history of these spectacular games. More specifically, it may come as a surprise to learn that there have been events that have not made the cut for one reason or another. This thread

1 Croquet Yes, this favourite backyard pastime was once an Olympic event.

There may even have been lemonade and top hats in attendance.

Played out at the 1900 Paris summer Olympics, this event was a one-time deal. Unfortunately, the only country competing was France and so they took home 10 medals for all of their 10 competitors. Well played, France. Well played.

of thought was inspired by the incorporation of a brand new event in the upcoming summer Olympics: Rugby sevens.

This game is a variation of rugby union in that the teams are made up of seven players, as opposed to the typical fifteen. This change entails higher intensity and shorter matches for optimal demonstrations of athleticism and prowess. The exciting thing about rugby seven’s induction into the Olympic games is that the sport is accessible and gaining popularity in countries that are typically under-represented at the Olym-

pic games. While the official listing of countries competing in this event is yet to be determined, there will be a slot each for Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and the Caribbean, Oceania, and South America in order to ensure a more equal representation.

Now that we have chanced a look at the future for this exciting new addition to the Olympic schedule, let us look back and consider the events that have taken their final bows (hopefully never to be seen again).

2 Cricket Also at the 1900 Paris Olympics, this riveting event was a short one. The only countries in the competition were Great Britain and France. While France may have swept the croquet game (due to the fact that they were the only ones playing) they fell to the Brits, who won by a soaring 158 runs. Maybe if India had submitted a team there would have been a Bronze medal to hand out.

3 Tug of War Unlike croquet and cricket, tug of war saw more than one Olympic year. Featured at the 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920 Olympics, this event received more press time than was probably necessary.

Due to the fact that any given country could enter more than one team into the mix, it was possible for countries to win multiple medals in this event. This happened in 1904 with USA sweeping the podium. As the saying goes, there’s power in numbers…. on the scale.

The world of sports Want to know what is going on in the world of sports outside of TWU? Here are some quick updates on some of the top teams and stats for major leagues around the world.

logo from sportslogo.net

Frontrunner Teams: Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers Top Players: Patrick Kane (CHI), Tyler Seguin (DAL), Jamie Benn (DAL) Key Rookies: Jared McCann (VAN), Leon Draisaitl (EDM), Max Domi (ARZ)

logo from sportslogo.net

Frontrunner Teams: New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers Top Players: Cam Newton (CAR), Phillip Rivers (SD), Carson Palmer (ARI) Key Rookies: Marcus Mariota (TEN), Tyler Lockett (SEA), Ameer Abdullah (DET)

logo from sportslogo.net

Frontrunner Teams: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors Top Players: Steph Curry (GSW), LeBron James (CLE), Russell Westbrook (OKC) Key Rookies: Andrew Wiggins (MIN), Jahlil Okafor (PHI)

logo from sportslogo.net

Frontrunner Teams: Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos, Ottawa Red-Blacks, Hamilton Tiger-Cats Top Players: Henry Burris (OTT), Eric Rogers (CGY), Bo Levi Mitchell (CGY)

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “A snowman” - Gregg Embree

November 25, 2015

17

Definitions of beauty

I

katie

maryschuk

An eight-year-old girl stops and pauses in front of a mirror before heading to soccer practice. She surveys herself from head to toe and continues on her way. However innocent, this is the first sign of today’s beauty standards creeping into her life. She continues out the door, clad in cleats and a Wendy’s jersey, and will soon be playing with her teammates without a care in the world. However, there is a lingering in the air, an insecurity and a false sense of worth that begins to grow.

Children and adults alike are affected by what our world now understands as “official” beauty standards. Magazines and images that line the checkout racks imply that we are doomed if we are not up to par with what a model

looks like. Believe it or not, these standards creep into every aspect of our world, especially sport.

Sport asks a lot from athletes.

It is physically demanding; it asks that you give up your time and that you play with continual outcomes that may not be in your favour. In addition to these things, however, an elephant in the room still confronts us with a decision every time we train or compete: What will I wear? How do I look? Am I wearing the right clothes? These questions have been pumped into our brains as a result of media and competition.

Sports today imply that there is an ideal for what a successful player looks and feels like. According to the media’s representation of successful players, the best male soccer players are between 5’6” and 6’6” with no extra body fat in sight. In swimming, a lean physique and hairless body are key to swift races. In track and field, sprinters have thick quads and arm muscles to boot.

These standards have been matched with success, and we tend not to see otherwise. Why? Sports tell the anomalies that they are not good enough. An “overweight” gymnast who is first place in all of her competitions struggles with her weight and eventually drops out of the sport altogether. A wrestler fails to make the right weight category in competition after starving and sweating himself all night and loses his match against a heavier opponent. A runner sticks to a strict diet to avoid gaining weight for a massive competition only to get sick and be forced to bail out. Our world has put unrealistic standards on sport and has diminished the idea of playing for the right reasons. If we are not up to standard, we simply will not make the cut.

So why do the standards continue to rise? Why do we continually see the same people win the same events over and over again? Countries and teams seek

out these types of people and aim to recreate them if they aren’t already that way. People have an innate desire to turn to something that is fabricated, to this unrealistic ideal. Beauty, however, does not define success.

Return to our eight-year-old friend at the mirror. She needs to

be told that no matter her appearance, she is good enough. Her skills can improve over time and she can become as good of a player as she desires to be. Instead of focusing on these ideals of beauty, let us focus on the skill and the character of the athlete. That will make all the difference.

name: jessye brockway age: twenty-two

year: fifth

major: human kinetics sport: throwing in track and field (javeline, discus, shot put)

How did you get started in track and field?

JB: I was weight training in the gym when my previous coach saw me and approached me. After a few months he asked if I was interested in throwing (track and field). From there it has been an amazing journey that has allowed me to get in contact with amazing people and great coaches.

What is your favourite part of the sport itself ?

JB: My favourite part about throwing is the moment I have before I throw. Everything is silent and I’m just one with either the javelin, shot put, or discus. It’s the most peaceful time, and everything seems to stop around me. I also love the people that I have been able to meet and the amazing connections I have made all over the world.

for more from Jessye and exciting online exclusives go to

marshillonline.com

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Pasta” - Jay Balletta

How many competitions do you attend each year?

JB: I see myself doing a lot of competitions over each summer. I usually have one every few weeks.

My goal is to be in as many as I can make standards for.

Tell us a bit about what makes paraathletics so unique.

JB: Being a para-athlete gives you a whole new perspective on just how diverse this world is. It has shown me how amazing people are and how there are endless possibilities.

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

JB: I would go sky-diving! I absolutely love heights and it’s something I have always wanted to do.

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November 25, 2015

What’s new in spartanville

I

katie

maryschuk

Before we part ways for the Christmas season, we thought it wise to update you on the status of your home teams. While many of you may see them occasionally running to practice or working out on the Sparta deck, know that the hours they put in are beyond what we see, and the work is paying off.

In the realm of current achievements, the cross-country team won many medals on November 15th at the CIS Championships in Guelph, Ontario. Master’s student Sarah Inglis found her way to the front of the pack and never looked back; she secured a CIS gold and a CanWest gold, as well as breaking the course record and becoming the first CanWest individual female winner since 1993. Quite the feat! Lisa Brook-

ing, Regan Yee, Mirelle Martens, Hannah Ryan, Joanna Williams, and Meg Harradine made up the women’s contingency. The men placed a record 6th in CIS and came a close second to UVIC for the CanWest division. Declan White and Joel De Schiffart led the pack for a 16th and 18th finish, respectively.

The women’s soccer team made it past last y e a r ’s

tured the Rookie of the Year title, and Vanessa Kovacs and Ally Williamson made their way to All-Canadian teams. Men’s soccer wrapped up on November 7th with a loss to UFV in the bronze medal match of the CanWest Final Four.

women’s side has seen a 1-3 season so far. There is still more in store for both teams as they host Saskatchewan on the 26th and 27th and continue gameplay into late February.

Volleyball is off to a hot season so far with the men sitting in CanWest fourth place with a 5-3 record and the women in third with a stellar 8-0 season.

Can both t e a m s repeat

rival, Laval, for a place in the final game against the nearby UBC Thunderbirds. Despite losing 3-0, first year Rachel Hutchinson cap-

Spartans Basketball has begun with mid-season matches underway each weekend. The men’s team sits at a 0-4 record, and the

program history for a CIS win?

Only time will tell, and the volleyball teams see game play resume on November 27th and 28th at

home, hosting Mount Royal.

Last but certainly not least, the men’s hockey team sit at a 5-2 season with a November 14th win over Simon Fraser featuring a stellar third period goal from Jamey Kreller from Winfield, BC. With the help of second year Dawson Sawatzky and Brett Wur, the Spartans were able to climb out of their goal deficit and win over the Clan. With a week off, the men go on a road trip to Victoria to seek another win that will put them at the top of the BCIHL. Games are a constant here at TWU, and the Spartans have hosted an abundance of home games at the Enarson gym so far.

With the Langley Events Centre close by and rival schools within driving distance, the Spartan Faithful has no reason not to be excited about what the Spartans are doing this fall. Stay tuned for an upcoming track and field season starting in January and more solid gameplay from each team as they progress and aim for CanWest and BCIHL playoffs.

5 Sports you probably didn’t know you were playing End of semester edition by Trevor McMahan The Cold Sprint

DodgeMalnutrition A variant of the middleschool classic game dodgeball, this sport ensues the daily struggle to eat at least one healthy thing.

Each round of the game is scored by adding a point for every remotely nutritious food consumed and subtracting a point for every McDonald’s run.

The winner of the game is rewarded with remotely positive mental and physical health, and the loser is indefinitely punished and filled with self-worth issues.

Time Juggling

Hide-andGo-Study

Marathon Cramming In this sport, players attempt to get from one building to another and remain as warm as possible. Participating athletes consistently work to shave time off their personal records while trying to draw minimal attention to themselves. They are also encouraged to say “Wow, it’s really cold,” as much as possible while running.

Frequently played at Denny’s, this sport is the ultimate test of will power.

The athlete attempts to retain as much information as possible in as little time as possible, often between the hours of 10 PM and 10 AM. Key game-winning strategies include mnemonic exercises, repetition, and sheer panic.

This sport requires a high level of coordination and organization. Athletes are presented with more tasks and events than they can possibly participate in and told to say “no” to some.

The twist? None of the effective strategies are fun.

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Souls” - Monica Marwood

Only the truly resolute choose to participate in this extreme sport (or those really freaking out at the last minute). These brave souls lock themselves in the library for hours on end, voluntarily starving themselves of human interaction and joy in order to finish papers or study for a test. This sport requires high levels of endurance, and the game is typically lost due to factors such as YouTube or Facebook.

November 25, 2015

KREG LONNEBERG

5 step guide to running a kick-ass bible study step 1 Get a good Bible: NRSV and NIV are good scholarly translations, but why not consider something more fun and inviting like NLT or The Message.

step 2 Get some nice teas: not the bagged kind—no one likes a cheap Bible study leader.

step 3

step 4

Talk about how #blessed you are: yes, this is different than #blazed

Decorate life verse posters with your group: I hear out-of-context Bible verses are in this year.

In the news with kreg: Red cups

While the rest of the North America has been sipping their venti, no foam, skinny, almond milk, vanilla-bean, half-caf lattés from Starbucks, thinking, “Damn, this is a nice red cup,” Christians everywhere have been outraged at the religious persecution being heaped upon them by their favourite coffee franchise. And who can blame them? Is there really anything more offensive than drinking a Christmas Blend coffee from a religiously neutral holiday cup? That’s why I’ve made a short list of things you can do to reclaim coffee culture for Christ.

1. Tell the barista your name is “Merry Christmas”.

2. Support local business by drinking coffee out of the generic, white paper cups at your local coffee shop.

3. Incessantly complain to your favourite barista about how outrageous it is that Starbucks holiday cup doesn’t have cool snowflakes on it anymore.

4. Hold a prayer vigil.

5. Launch a strategic social-media mission to convince corporate offices to change the holiday cup to something more Christian.

6. Wear a cool Santa hat or reindeer antlers every time you order a drink from Starbucks.

7. Order one of the holiday drinks such as the eggnog latté, so that your drink will at least taste like Christmas.

8. Print off graphic birthing scene stickers to put on the red Starbucks cup so that you can remind the general population that this holiday is really about celebrating a crying baby being violently thrust out of his mother’s womb.

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Butter chicken” - Noel Muddamalle

step 5 Read and study your Bible: I almost forgot about this one.

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November 25, 2015

Submit your declassifIeds at:

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

Because of snap chat stories it felt like I was at the dance For all the thousands of dollars I pay, I still had to go on data to submit this declassified... Please fix trinternet. “holy Crapamole... HAHAHAHA” - Sarah Robertson Dear dutch blitz girls from Robson underground; you are the wooden klompen to my feet, the tulips to my garden, and the stroop waffles to my coffee.

Sincerely, your fellow trinity dutchmen.

What do you call twin policemen? Copies.

I can feel my brain physically rebelling when I try and make it do philosophy at 8am. Ughhh.

Death.

Definition of shaving your legs: Doing yoga in the shower with a razor blade. is sex when hands touch?

TWU starter pack: jean shirt, black pants, brown shoes, military green jacket I feel like I’m cheating on Norma when I’m with Denny.

I saw Michael Bogress wearing camo pants and a black v-neck, so I bought camo pants and a black v-neck.

My mama don’t like you…and she likes everyone.

Dear Mom, There’s dishes piled so high in the sink. Today I ate my cold rice out of a frisbee. I miss you.

Maybe hot chocolate wants to be called beautiful chocolate just one time *I’m staring out the window and there’s people in the parking lot looking sketchy.* “It’s okay, they’re probably talking about Jesus or something.”

All I’ve learned from Chem 221 is that down at the molecular level, everything is stupid.

“This has been seen in the news quite recently…oh wait, maybe it was in the book of Job”- Dr. Dyck, circa 2015.

Hey girl, people call me Josh Boersma, but you can call me tonight.

Know where the most awkward place to walk on campus is?

Along the Douglas North pathway. If you disagree with me, you’re short.

The only thing going right in my life right now is this thermos of fresh coffee #finalstretch

I just realized that I haven’t done the “Hockey Pokey” in over 10 years. I guess when you get older, you just forget what it’s all about.

I accidentally sent my essay to a 3D printer and it came out as a pile of crap.

Robson underground was the equivalent of dancing in a fruit salad #toomanypineapplecostumes #whyareyoudresseduplikeastrawberry Wow. I just realized something.

Tarzan doesn’t have a beard.

When you convince an American that the Canadian branch of “American Eagle” is called “Canadian Beaver”

lies I tell myself: “if I use a quote from page 1, is it obvious that I didn’t read the book? ...no, no it’s fine”

*silence in dorm* single voice from dorm sink: OH NOOO! My fish just went down the drain *laughter from all corners of dorm* to the guy who watches live feeds from cat shelters during class. You da bomb!

To All 2nd and 3rd Year Male Business Students, I met one of your parents at the top of the Citadel overlooking Budapest in April, and I promised I would say Hi if I ever met you.

So, Hi. Sincerely, A Wanderer

fries before guys am i right ladies??

With great power comes great electricity bill.

THE HIMNAL

“Why is there an equal number of himnals and shevangelists?

Because it’s 2015.”

- Justin Trudeau When I grow up I want to be a mix of Queen Elizabeth II and Glen Hansen I want to host a controversial dinner party, should it be at my house or Yarhouse?

After eating stale cereal for breakfast, a friend’s leftover lunch and canned soup for dinner... I appreciate my mom’s cooking so much more now #apartmentlife I can’t get out of bed. These blanket have accepted me as one of their own and if I leave now I might lose their trust.

Spatula. Sounds like Dracula but when he is in a spa.

Guy looking at nursing textbook: is that a vagina?

Ohhhhhh, that’s an ear #truestory “No, I don’t want them to know it’s me again.” - Graeme Geddes how times to i have to say the douglas north girls are baes before it gets put in marhill when you meet someone you’ve stalked on instagram and you don’t know whether to play it cool or ask how Dubai was 2 years ago

Accidentally playing footsie with the person in the library carrel facing yours.... #JustNormaProblems Oh Sodexo and your trail mix... #onechocolatechip #aboutabillionraisins Thank you to “you the north” for making my walks home after my late classes so special. I LOVE CHRISTMAS! Rachel Zmak, you taught me how to do a bun just by doing it over and over in class. Thanks!

My name is Ryan Natwick and I like to party.

When you go for a Menchies study break at 9:05 and Menchies closes at 9 #fail I’ve been reading the story of Jericho, and I’m just wondering how many times I’ll have to walk around you before you fall for me.

After this past week of midterms, I’ve decided to make Proverbs 20:13 my life verse: “Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare” (NIV)

Arshdeep Singh year: 1st age: 19 major:Pre-engineering height: 5’10”

Bains

Hometown: Mohali, India

Favorite way to worshp God?

Denomination: Sikh...

Fave food?

Fave man/woman in the Bible? Father <3

Help other people, for God has made me able to do so.

Butter-chicken (not because I’m brown).

If you were an animal and why?

Bunny, because my “legitimate” nickname is Bunny. (P.S. I did not adopt it; my aunt gave it to me when I was litte).

Good age to get married? 26.

hate these time-lapse videos of people making food on Facebook. like ya, dinner’s gonna take me 1:47 to make tonight. ... 3 hours of cooking, a disaster kitchen and a charcoaled pan later.

Best pick up line?

Hey stop! What are you doing!?

You’re going to short-circuit my Cute-O-Meter...

Best place for a first kiss?

In the middle of an empty one-way road, under the streetlights of Gastown.

Favourite Bible Verse?

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world.” Romans 12:2

How would you make-up after your first fight?

Say, “I’m leaving you, and I’m taking everything that’s mine.”

Pick her up caveman style and exit the door.

How long before you propose?

Has to be perfect. Anything less is unacceptable.

If you could deep fry anything, what would it be? “Anything?” - Sofia Del Vasto