Volume 22 Issue 5: Incentive by Mars Hill Newspaper

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FROM THE EDITOR

MARS’ H I L L MARS’ HILL

Mars’ Hill is a student publication of Trinity Western University, floated with funds raised by the Student Association. Mars’ Hill seeks to be a professional and relevant student publication, reflecting and challenging the TWU community, while intentionally addressing local, national and international issues. MISSION TO MARS The mission of Mars’ Hill, as the official student newspaper of Trinity Western University, is to inform and entertain its readers, cultivate awareness of issues concerning the TWU community and provide a forum for purposeful, constructive discussion among its members in accordance with the Community Covenant, Statement of Faith, and Core Values of the University.

EDITORIAL POLICY 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 Editorin-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. CONTRIBUTORS Bailey Martens Mikah Fuenekes Niki Mara Chase Moloney Jesse Mara Becca Carscience Joey Schweitzer Eric Stein Sam Grewal Tyler Jones Lungi Roberts Sophia Down

7600 Glover Rd, Langley, BC, V2Y 1Y1 604-513-2109 marshill@gmail.com www.marshill.ca

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STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR

Why did you come here? Why do you stay? What are the reasons? What was your intent in coming here in the first place? Now in my fifth year on this campus, I’m feeling nostalgic. I think back to my Grade 12 year, and that decision when I said “yes” to Trinity. What was it about this small, Christian, liberal-arts university that won my decision over SFU, UBC or U of C? Maybe you’re thinking the same thing. Maybe your reason is community, but I think it’s more than that. As the hearing with our proposed law school comes up next week, I can’t help but feel all eyes are on us, as students, to explain to the public “why do I even go here?” Someone puts a mic in your face and asks you how you ended up here, and you blurt out “small class sizes!” or, “preview weekend was fun!” While I’m sure these reasons are valid, and completely true, I often think that we probably won’t know the bigger reason for our participation in this collective of students, or the weight of our presence here, until years down the road. Hindsight is always 20/20, right? Sure, I know my purpose, and sure, there were reasons why I selected this school over others, but what was (and still is) the grander design for I, Katie Maryschuk, attending Trinity? Why would I stay on a campus that put me $50,000 into debt? Surely, attending a public institution, having school paid off by the time second year rolled around, and then emerging a fresh graduate with a

Loranne Brown

surplus of cash seems like a better option. Actually, I sound pretty ridiculous to anyone who asks, “Wait, so you’re choosing a university that will put you in over your head over something that is free or more affordable?”. Yes. Yes, I am. And so are you. Why would I stay on a campus that is rife with some of the most intricate and controversial discussions that Canadian universities have seen in the past twenty years? Conversations that I often feel illequipped to have, despite training, and learning, and teaching? In light of someone telling me that my degree might become null, or deeming my education as worth less than a piece of paper from UBC or U of C, we are choosing to be here. I’ll admit, this place is attractive. It feels safe. It feels comfortable. My selfish motivation is that I’m known here. People see me - you see me. You know my name, I’m not a nobody. Maybe I’ll even get a job when I graduate. Let me tell you - I stay because He asked me. Let me be clear though, I am not saying he “called” me, even though I firmly believe that (a conversation in itself), and I’m not saying “I felt led here”, even though I agree with that too. What I am saying is that He quite literally told me to come here. I was given a heaven-filled “yes”, when all other avenues said “no”. Simply based on faith, I didn’t say “no” back.

to change something is a sweet sweet lure into not only His Kingdom, but to stay here, in this place. I think that could apply for anyone, regardless of faith. The incentive that you are here in this place, and have the tools, resources and opportunities to grow, learn, still be challenged, and emerge a more critical thinker? I won’t argue with that. I will leave you with one point of rumination, though (what is an Letter from the Editor without me leaving you with something to think about, right?). Ask yourself why you’re here. You don’t have to get all philosophical on yourself. Simply ask yourself, “What were my intentions, coming here?” Get honest with yourself (and God, because after all, it’s just between you and Him). Are you here because you followed your friend from high-school? Are you here because your parents and siblings went here? Maybe it’s a scholarship, maybe it’s because it is actually affordable for you (somehow), maybe...there’s a host of reasons why you’re here. If you fall into any of these categories, then good. I’m glad you’re here. Maybe you’re here for all the right reasons, or maybe every single wrong reason. Regardless, you’re here, and you get to figure out why. Until next time, Katie Maryschuk

I stay because the motive and purpose from my Father is sweeter than anything I could ever do on my own. The invitation that there could one day be a chance for me

THE TEAM BROOKE PATTYN Layout Editor

ALEX GUST

Managing Editor

TORI AHRENDT Visual Editor

HANNAH DEVRIES

NIKI MARA

JOEL REDEKOP

JAMISON DERKSEN

SABINE HENDERSON MAYA JUSMAN

Academy Editor

Sports Editor

Arts & Culture Editor

Humour Editor

Chief Copy Editor

Illustration Editor

Things Trinity people like too much?

MADISON POWERS Photo Editor

BAILEY MARTENS Web Editor

CHRISALEEN CIRO News Editor

RYAN SCHAFFRICK Advertising and Finance Manager

COMMUNITY CORNER

DE-CLASSIFIEDS

“I’ve become more and more convinced that in order to truly understand ancient Judaism, you have to understand Star Wars.” Andy Perrin, 2017.

Bradley is such a nice guy. He has a beautiful personality and he is a lot of fun! :) Go Bradley! I don’t like how our school is becoming more commercialized. I guess it is both good and bad. I like rudolfs Healthy blood cells are red Mars hill – Nice one. – Alex I actually like the new cafeteria. The food is good. #unpopularopinion Reply to “Who farted?”: It was my stomach. It does that all the time. Alex could you please publish this so I can clarify my intestinal miscommunication? Thanks. You’re the best. ;) Justin Van Dorp—you are so beautiful. Even when you bleached your hair badly and you looked like David Hasselhoff past his prime. But, honey. Why. Did. You. Shave. Your. Head. AIN’T NO PARTY LIKE A TWUSA PARTY ‘CAUSE A TWUSA PARTY is cancelled when the ﬁre alarm goes off but that’s okay because it relocates an hour later and is epic before we have to shut it down ‘cause partying past midnight is not okay apparently.

dude, the girl who makes pancakes on Wednesdays wears a name tag. Every day...

Mars Hill, we just want to say, thank you so much for bringing the newspaper to a place where I can actually feel comfortable sharing it with others, for not pushing your own agenda, and for accurately representing more than 10% of the TWU student body. They say you don’t know how much you love something until it’s gone. Turns out I absolutely adore Glover Road. Overheard in English... “Can you have jazz without heroin?” “Can you have anything without heroin?”

Do you love Caleb Barkowsky? We certainly do. Join us in love for Caleb and follow @sillythingscalebsays *watches video* “Who are those foreign faces?” ”They’re called ﬁrst years.” Dear anonymous, Linda Arce is currently in a committed relationship with music theory. After this semester, though... ;) Dear anonymous, don’t worry, that dude that Linda Arce hangs around with is her cousin. Go for it. Rhys Fowler’s booty Evita Mora studies in the west coast collegium. Just bring her coffee :)

Finally found where you post declassiﬁed. Hope it works!!

Apparently, it’s okay to be different as long as you agree with everyone else…

Fun fact: it is illegal to park anywhere it says “no parking”

Is it bad to help the guy you are secretly in love with get a date with another girl? He may be happy, but I’m dying inside.

If you take your age and add 19 to it, that is your age in 19 years. Help! I’m trapped in the newspaper factory! – I looked under my desk, and you’re not there. Where are you hiding? The ofﬁce is literally a closet, and I’m the only one here. – Alex Texas Woman’s University 3-hour night class? More like a 3-hour homework block. Ian has nearly unlimited resources

Can we get juicier stuff in Mars Hill? One of my favorite things last year was the survey of the students about the covenant and sex at Trinity Clue 4/5: The ﬁrst word of Jack Black’s birthday speech in 1963 Remember, chew like you have a secret.

SUBMIT YOUR DECLASSIFIEDS AT: WWW.MARSHILL.CA

When you friends starts going against your game plan for staying together after trinity by fancying someone who isn’t a Peloso. #futuremrspeloso #teamNick #teamBen Remember, chew like you have a secret. Send noods is great and all but what ever happened to Six Loaves? two L’s = W. 3H football is in dire need of a new coach. Please help us Zach Friesen. What’s the platonic equivalent of a heart sparkle? Kudos to whoever was answering me in whistling the Amazing Grace. We should start a band. Roses are red Canada has moose TRINITY STUDENT MISSES MIDTERM AFTER BEING ATTACKED BY GOOSE Dear Good Morning Commuter(s): - I have crank windows, thus my passenger’s side window will never go down, and I am missing out on timbits & coffee. Can you come to the driver’s side? Like, should I wave? The most discussed conspiracy on campus: what is that loud explosion that happens and where does it come from???

Hey, Alex. Just so you know, your comments on declassifies loses it humor when it is used in excess. We all love inside jokes too. Now, don’t you dare comment on this. Shoot. – lol thanks joey – Alex TBH the overheard @ TWU account on insta is super lame this year #notfunny Waiting for someone new to help run it Jamison Derksen is a sexy beast To whoever wrote that declassified about Jamison Derksen being a sexy beast: I agree. Wow. Courtney Loenen is soooooo hoooooottttttttt but she chews gum very loudly when you walk into the fishbowl and everyone looks up at you “I LOVE Daniel Flowers!” literally anyone who’s ever met Daniel Flowers “Rule number 1: No quoting me in the declassifieds.” —Cal Townsend, 2017 Dear OneTWU, we love and support you, and will fight for you. You are not alone! To whoever shot off the fireworks on campus between Fraser and Skidmore on both Friday and Saturday night, I beg of you... Stop. I am running out of clean underwear. PS- Or leave...

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.

LOOKING TO CONTRIBUTE? Go to marshill.ca

In this issue ...

COST OF LIVING News

CAREFULLY CU-

RATED MIMICRY

News

SETTING OUR SIGHTS

WHY YOUTUBE IS STARTING TO SUCK Arts & Culture

Feature

“Not doing readings for class.” – Dr. Kevin Schut

NEWS

MI GLOBE ES TU CASA

COST OF LIVING BAILEY MARTENS Naomi Willett, a second-year Trinity Western student, experienced a critical brain hemorrhage in 2013 while living in Mississippi. After arriving at the hospital, she was immediately sent to the emergency room, and a prompt CT scan confirmed the diagnosis. Naomi was then airlifted to USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital, in Mobile, Alabama, where she spent time in the pediatric intensive care unit awaiting brain surgery. After 13 days of waiting, she underwent brain surgery to remove the blood and arteriovenous malformations (essentially a jumble of abnormal blood vessels).

CHRISALEEN CIRO At Trinity’s student-run Globe, students are trained in the art of ministry through hospitality. Students serve and bless each other by studying together, eating together and pleasantly procrastinating together. The Globe is a public lounge intended to facilitate inter-cultural dialogue between the North American and international students on campus. International students or Canadian students who have lived internationally, often find camaraderie as they try and explore Canadian culture together. The Globe provides the physical space to facilitate the development of new relationships. It is also a fantastic opportunity for Canadian students to interact with students from different cultures. On November 8th, the Globe hosted “Mi casa es tu casa.” The purpose and goal of the event was to pay respect and celebrate the culture of Latin America. Even the name of the event promoted the concept that the Globe is a home away from home, welcoming people from all cultures. The “Fiesta Latina” was not simply a dance party, but a true celebration of culture. We need opportunities and spaces like this to cultivate true celebration where we can enjoy people’s company through music, dance, conversation and of course, food. The reason why I found this celebration so unique was because it had a purpose and deeper meaning that was not meant for just “fun.” Events like this take an archetypal Trinity “dance party” event, such as Robson Underground or Late Night with TWUSA, and makes them accessible to a different profile of student. For many students on campus, Robson Underground is an opportunity to be ridiculous without fear of judgement. However, for the international student, or a student raised in the global south, Robson Underground calls you to be ridiculous in front of the entire student body.

Since returning to Canada, Naomi still experiences lingering symptoms from her brain hemorrhage. After experiencing excruciating pain this summer, reminiscent of the pain associated with her previous brain hemorrhage, she did not receive timely medical attention. After rushing to the emergency room, Naomi waited seven hours with a possible brain bleed before she was given a CT scan. Last year, Jimmy Fallon, host of The Tonight show, had a son named William. Will was born with Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Atresia, a heart disease, and required immediate medical attention. Jimmy explains, in an emotional monologue, how his son required open heart surgery to fix the defects in his heart. While William recovered in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Jimmy witnessed other families struggling to gain access to the care their children needed and was compelled to use his platform to bring awareness to the issue. In order to ensure that all Americans had access to health care, the American Health Care Act was put in place. The Affordable Care Act acted as a mediator between people and the insurance companies. They are responsible for making health insurance more affordable, and expand Medicaid, a federal program that assists in paying for medical service to cover more low-income individuals. Previously to the Affordable Care Act, those with pre-existing conditions, including infants with heart diseases, did not qualify for health insurance. The Atlantic reports that 25% of Americans under the age of 65 have a pre-existing condition. The Affordable Care Act allows for those with pre-existing conditions to receive insurance without astronomically high premiums. While the Affordable Care Act has assisted families to be able to afford the health care they need,

For us, dance is something we associate with young people. However, in the Global South, dance is a community effort. Often, it is non-sexual, intergenerational, safe, and infused with cultural traditions. New cultural experiences allow us to rethink traditions, ideas and pastimes we had previously taken for granted. The purpose of an event like “Mi casa es tu casa” is not to compete with Robson Underground or Late Night, but rather to allow us to mine more meaning from traditions like dancing. During the time I have spent at the Globe, I have learned new ways of making tea, telling stories and dancing. Learning these new methods of things that I do everyday allows me to examine the meaning I find in these small rituals. Additionally, each of these lessons was accompanied by the creation of new relationships, and growing in greater intimacy with existing relationships. I believe that’s what community is for.

“Birkenstocks and Blundstones” – Tessa Ratzlaff

the American government is currently in the process of revoking a tax credit that could halt the development of new treatment options. The Orphan Drug Tax Credit currently gives pharmaceutical companies who invest in the development of drugs for rare diseases a 50% tax credit. According to the National Institute for Rare Diseases, a rare disease is a disease that affects less than 20,000 people. Although each rare disease affects a small portion of the population, together one in ten Americans battles a rare disease. That is an estimated 30 million Americans. The National Organization for Rare Disorders reports that an estimated 486 drugs have been developed since the program began, compared to only 34 before its origin, in 1983. Experts estimate that the removal of this program would lead to a 33% decrease in development of orphan drugs for those with rare diseases. However, for pharmaceutical companies the tax break does not necessarily justify the program. Drugs developed for common diseases will generate a greater supply and demand, which will ultimately result in a more profitable drug. Canada is not exempt from health care related issues. While Americans are faced with the potential of extremely high bills and lack of treatment options, Canadians are faced with potentially life-threatening wait times. Naomi’s experience of waiting for hours in a Canadian emergency room is not unique. Earlier this year, a 68-year-old man, Jack Webb, died from complications of pancreatic cancer. The Toronto Star reports that his death was a direct result from inadequate treatment and long wait times in a Halifax emergency room. There are repercussions for both low associated costs and quick medical treatment. Naomi admits that if her insurance hadn’t covered her treatment while in America, her parents would have paid for her treatment due to the severity of it. However, she recognizes the burden this would have put on her family, and the burden it puts on other families who can not afford to pay for it out of pocket. The removal of programs like the Affordable Care Act, and families impacted by the halt in development of drugs through the Orphan Drug Tax Credit, would be a devastating loss. Jimmy Fallon ends his sentimental monologue by stating that “no parent should have to decide if they can afford to save their child’s life.” Both American and Canadian health care systems have ﬂaws, and they need to rethink how to save lives promptly and without jeopardizing the financial security of families.

SELF-DETERMINATION AND THE ANSWER TO OPPRESSION MIKAH FUENEKES When I talk about living in Papua, most people assume that I’m talking about Papua New Guinea. Very few are aware of West Papua, the western half of the island of New Guinea, and the easternmost province of Indonesia. However, the Trinity community is the second, (or third or fourth) home to several Third Culture Kids who at one time, called West Papua home. This province is home to extremely diverse wildlife and over 300 unique tribes. It is home to the world’s highest island peak: Mount Carstensz. West Papua is culturally and ethnically distinct from the rest of Indonesia; its people share physical characteristics with those in Africa, while the rest of Indonesia’s population is of Asian descent. Due to its rugged terrain and vibrant population, West Papua remained untouched by the rest of the world for many years, developing its own distinct culture. However, the discovery of rich gold and copper deposits, as well as a burgeoning logging industry, have made the province indispensable to the Indonesian economy. The Grasberg mine contains both gold and copper, and has an estimated worth of 10 billion. West Papua remained under Dutch rule until 1961, when its independence was put into motion. However, the Indonesian government argued that West Papua should be under its sovereignty, and in 1969, the government held a vote to determine if West Papua would become an official province of Indonesia or not. 1,025 Papuans were selected to vote, and all of them voted to accept Indonesian rule. Whether these voters were pressured

into their unanimous decision by the Indonesian military is a subject of debate. However, 48 years later to the present day, West Papuans have decided to speak up about their abysmal living conditions. A signed petition asking for a new vote regarding independence was recently sent to the UN, in hope that the situation in West Papua would change. As a former resident of West Papua, I have seen the struggles that the citizens of this region have gone through. Poverty, disease, lack of medical assistance and poor economic development lead to social unrest which has mobilized some West Papuans to take action. Tensions are escalating quickly; in 2014, 105 West Papuans were arrested for participating in nonviolent protest. In 2015, that number increased to 710, and by the first half of 2016, the number of West Papuans arrested for nonviolent protest had shot up to a total of 4,198.

purchasing alcohol and other expensive vices. Therefore, alcoholism and addictions to pornography and drugs are extremely common. These addictions lead to an increase in drunk driving, theft, and other misdemeanours. Abuse is also highly prevalent, and many women and children are physically abused by their husbands, fathers, and other male presences.

Many West Papuans are indignant that, though the copper and gold mine in the south is a significant source of profit, none of the money is used to promote the West Papuan economy. All the income is taken off-island, and the West Papuans are left with a mine that is destroying the natural landscape of the island. West Papua’s logging industry has increased the occurrence of devastating landslides that obliterate local gardens, especially in the mountainous region. None of this plundering of natural resources has been used to improve the standards of living in Papua.

There are only a few hospitals in West Papua, and the lack of medical assistance has led to many dying from preventable and easily curable injuries or diseases. Due to the lack of jobs, most people cannot afford to pay hospital bills and the medicine that they or their relatives need. In addition, many of the doctors practicing at these hospitals have limited certifications, and very few of the tools and instruments they need to adequately perform their jobs. If they can afford it, most people are encouraged to go off-island to Jakarta, Australia, Singapore, or Malaysia for more complicated medical procedures. There is an overwhelming spread of HIV/AIDS. Men, women, and children in villages and cities all over the island have contracted this disease. Though an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign is always running, and medicine to combat the effects of the disease is being administered in hundreds of clinics, the reach of the disease continues to widen. Almost everyone in West Papua has a friend or relative with the disease. As of yet, there is no cure, sentencing the victims of this disease to a life of additional hardship.

Increased immigration from other Indonesian islands has reduced the number of jobs available. Women are forced to leave their children at home, usually unsupervised, in order to work. Men often cannot find jobs, which increases their susceptibility to

The lack of qualified teachers caused education in cities to be sporadic. Sadly, in some extreme cases, instead of being in school, children under the age of twelve have been jailed for supporting nonviolent protest. In some of the remote villages within the

“Hammocks” – Anna-Marie Ryan

West Papuan highlands, school buildings have lain empty for years because there are no teachers willing to live in such remote areas. To combat this poor schooling, and the resulting lack of upward mobility, several missionaries have started schools. A Chinese-Indonesian businessman, James Riady, built a number of Pelita Harapan schools for West Papuan children. However, these schools are not able to reach all the children who desperately need education to improve their chances of success, and many grow up to follow their parents in the cycle of poverty. Though the efforts of missionaries and aid organizations has alleviated some of the difficulties in West Papua, they are not a permanent solution. Especially because West Papua’s grievances against Indonesia are not merely financial: politically, they believe themselves to be a distinct society deserving of their own self-determination. Therefore, several groups in West Papua have argued that independence is the best answer, most notably the Organisasi Papua Merdeka, or Free Papua Movement. Indonesia’s oppression of West Papua has not been merely political nor economic, but also violent. Over the past fifty years, an estimated 500,000 West Papuan citizens were massacred for advocating for self-rule. West Papuans want autonomy over their resources and the ability to advocate for their best interests. Police target indigenous leaders, kidnap and torture citizens, and threaten foreign journalists. So far, their efforts have been met with little success and some hostility. Perhaps, though, this recent petition for independence will bring the struggles of West Papua out of the shadows and highlight the need for changes.

CAREFULLY CURATED MIMICRY

CHRISALEEN CIRO In the month of November, two leaders of the free world celebrated milestones in their leadership. Justin Trudeau celebrated two years in office, and Donald Trump, despite some reservations from his constituents, successfully saw the passing of one year since victory. We love to believe that Trudeau and Trump are completely different species. Trudeau is generally considered to be the human embodiment of the fashionable aspects of the progressive movement. Everything he says fits with a larger narrative, yet consistently he comes across as inspiring and innovative. When he raises his voice for “change,” his voice is far too palatable to effect meaningful change. Largely due in part to his non-traditional manner with the press and with his constituents, Trump was initially dismissed by progressives, journalists, and political scientists alike. He circumvents traditional structures of communication to express his divisive policy. He is unafraid of language that is divisive, surprising and hostile to the status quo. René Girard, a French philosopher, developed a theory of what he called “mimetic desire.” Mimetic desire is the desire to imitate the desires and ambitions of those around us. However, mimicry does not necessarily breed comparable behaviour. In fact, mimetic theory argues that when someone witnesses another individual’s behaviour and opts for the opposite, that is a form of “mimicry.” There is something inherently offensive about comparing Trump and Trudeau. However, it remains hard to divorce oneself from the notion that they are not two sides of the same coin. Mimetic theory, as with all theory, allows us to examine behaviour in relationship to other behaviours or perspectives. Just as we like to imagine desire as unitary—between us and the object of our desire—we would like to believe the relationship between constituent and representative are unitary. However, pluralistic analysis, which examines the inﬂuence of “organizations” on political decision making, reveals the profound inﬂuence of oppositional world leaders. This article is experimenting with the idea that mimetic theory can be used to analyze foreign policy decision making. To accomplish this, I will first give a brief summary of both leader’s legislative successes and failures, then I will compare each leader’s method of circulating rhetoric, and I will conclude with the significance of mimetic theory to our understanding of the political leader’s relationship with their constituents.

When Trudeau announced his candidacy, he was immediately met with concerns about his ability to be fiscally responsible. Many would argue that his recent budget proposal compromised his responsibility to small business owners and his promise to maintain a “modest deficit.” Marijuana is also widely considered to be one of Trudeau’s signature policies; the issue of legalization being especially important to college-aged voters. Unfortunately, he has proved disappointing to these voters. While he has made significant efforts to reach out to First Nations, his administration has struggled to make significant reconciliatory gains. Members of the First Nations community expressed concerns about his restructure of the Indigenous Affairs Ministry, late in the summer of 2017. The media has struggled to find language to describe these actions, some describing them as “dissolving” the Indigenous Affairs ministry, while others use words like “renaming,” “splitting” or “overhauling the ‘colonial’… Ministry.” However, there is consensus that the people put in place are unqualified and under-resourced. Similarly, to the disappointment of many voters, the Prime Minister has failed to implement electoral reform. This failure compromised his position among other Liberals, the NDP and the Green Party. It is easy to stand on this side of a politician’s administration and call them a disappointment based on their campaign promises. Frankly, many voters do not understand that when we elect politicians, they stop being candidates. A candidate’s job is to be idealistic, and invite the rest of the country to join in the fantasy. A politician’s job is to maintain their power. Unfortunately, when Trudeau was elected, it quickly became clear that he struggled to tell the difference between rhetoric and reality. His record suggests that he lacks the legislative proficiency to reconcile his idealism with the experience of the everyday. Even the Prime Minister’s innocuous “Because it’s 2015,” in response to questions about his gender balanced cabinet, exposes the fact that he lives in an entirely different world than the rest of us. The election of a president such as Donald Trump, who has been perpetually connected to allegations of sexual assault, suggests that Trudeau’s “2015” is not the same year in which the rest of us are living. In light of Trump’s recent tirade on the “failing New York Times,” we will endeavour to proceed with caution. His struggle to “repeal and replace Obamacare,” navigates the interstate system, and responses to homeland security and natural disasters have not only been extensively catalogued in the press, but also expressed in his own words. The nation has often been treated to his unfiltered understanding of policy and the “pulling and hauling” that is politics. The media

“Riley Voth” – Tobin Voth

played out a lively philosophical debate about whether rhetoric on Twitter qualifies as “mandates from the President.” Politicians from both sides have offered their opinions, which are generally infused by partisan sentiment. However, in cases such as when Trump declared transgender people would be barred from military service, constituents struggled to craft their responses. Should they regard this as policy? Or should they disregard his message because of the medium? Putting aside the often indignant and occasionally nonsensical language, the apparent lack of concern for traditional structures of communication has significant implications on the relationship between the President and the electorate. There is something inherently indignant about comparing Trump and Trudeau. However, instinctively, we know their image is connected. Both of these individuals tend to communicate opinions into the public sphere, not through policy, but through images and symbolism. Trudeau struggles to craft policy which conveys his mandate; however, I am generally aware of his policies. I do not know his stances because of Question Period, or his legislative success, but because he has found new ways of communicating with me. He attends gatherings, most notably Pride parades, and professes his solidarity. He is an intensely visible leader. One of the most infamous, and yet innocuous examples is his socks. Trudeau’s socks have conveyed his support for Ramadan, his delight in Star Wars and his patriotism while at NATO. I would argue that both Trump and Trudeau have the same desire. They want reaction, response and relationship with their constituents. However, due to the extreme stances expressed by the other, their desire produces divergent behaviour. In order to initiate a comparable response from their loyal demographic, they pursue radically opposite action. They pride themselves on being the antithesis of each other, which Girard would argue is a form of mimicry. Girard also explains why we have a hard time conceptualizing desire and mimicry, according to his theory. He argues that we want to believe that desire is solitary, or a unilateral relationship between the desirer, and the object being desired. However, mimetic theory exposes how we desire and behave in context of community. Similarly, we want to believe that our leaders’ policy is about us. We want to believe our leaders use our best interests as their unit of analysis. Instead, mimetic theory makes it clear that foreign policy is about relationships between interstate leaders. In sum, Trump and Trudeau have carefully curated oppositional identities, yet they reveal similar desires when they express these identities through comparable mediums.

ACADEMY

BEHIND THE WHEEL IN SUCH HIGH HEELS? NIKI MARA Canada never ceases to amaze me. The spectacular landscapes outside the bus window make my eyes tear up, the people here will stumble over their own foot and apologize for it before they let me trip, and I am convinced that Tim’s French Vanillas are drugged because I cannot get enough of them. The best part about Canada for me, however, has a cheesier ring to it – I love the opportunities here. As a woman, I feel safe, respected, and acknowledged in any social circle I am a part of. I know that no matter what career path I end up choosing, I will have the full support of not only my friends and family, but also the country I now call my second home. Canada, and North America in general, have made immense progress granting equal rights to women and men, and the years of turmoil and suffragist aching are paying off tenfold. Women advance to managerial positions in jobs of their choice with ease. We can prioritize our career above having children, and we are not just allowed, but encouraged, to vocalize our distraught when our rights are being infringed upon. How, then, in a society that strives to uplift and protect its women, do we find room for so much discontent? I hardly hear a positive word towards the accomplishments of feminist movements,

only the occasional distasteful “77 cents to a dollar” remark, as if every milestone we have reached on the road to full equality means nothing. We have come such a long way, and it hurts my heart to hear constant negativity coming from women about a “lack of equality” in North America, when, in reality, it could be much worse.

victim blaming. Yes, these same issues exist in North America as well, but on an incredibly smaller scale. Freedom from victim shaming is one of the milestones we have achieved almost completely. Being a woman in Russia is terrifying, and in the seventeen years that I lived there, I learned plenty of rules that were meant to keep me safe. “Come home before dark, you never know where In some places, it is. Imagine a sexual predators might be hidcountry that claims to be, and ing.” I followed, not because I should be, first-world and yet was scared of rape, but because I treats its women as if it was an un- knew that I would be blamed. derdeveloped nation? Russia is a country full of beauty and poten- If legal issues of female inequality tial, but one devastating fact that were the only obstacle in the way, goes largely unspoken is its treat- Russians would have come toment of the female population. gether to grant the female population its equality and respect. Russia is a painfully patriarchal Misogyny is a mentality there, a society, and although “women nationwide joke that puts women are guaranteed equal rights” in in shackles and spits in their face. the Constitution of the Russian Telling your female friends that Federation, little is done to follow their place is in the kitchen, is not through with this. Women earn even considered offensive, but only 64 percent of the money a compliment that you are “wife that men earn. Female represen- material.” I laughed along with tatives in the Russian government my friends when they threw slurs number a meager 14 percent. like these in my face because it That female underrepresentation, seemed harmless, but every time as well as a disgustingly corrupt my value was insulted or diminlegal system, leads to devastat- ished, I felt less like a woman and ing consequences. more like a resource. Like a mannequin, designed to have people Over half of the female popula- turn around and look at them, but tion experiences physical abuse do nothing more than just look from their husbands, and a quar- pretty. ter of these same married women are victims of sexual assault. That’s just it. Assault and abuse go massively unreported, because there is no Women are “the prettier sex” in solid legal support for women, Russia, and they bend over backand because of stigma issues and wards to live up to their name;

“decorating for Christmas way too early” – Nyssa Morgan

they never leave the house looking less than jaw-dropping, they wear stilettos to work. All, subconsciously, in an attempt to gain the approval of the men they walk by, because that is the ultimate goal – to be the beautiful wife of a successful man. Sure, a man will give up his seat in the bus for a beautiful woman in heels, but that’s as far as respect goes in Russia. Nothing is being done to actually advocate for women’s rights as individuals. It feels like a hopeless situation, and although Russia is moving ahead in its fight for justice, advocating for gender equality is not a problem that is being addressed, but rather shoved under the rug because “not that many women are complaining.” They are scared to complain, they know they will be blamed. I pray every day that this will change. For now, however, I choose to live in a country that values me as a human, not as a Barbie doll. Women are physically beautiful, but they are also intelligent, successful, and capable leaders. I know from experience that such an equal treatment is a blessing, and I try never to take it for granted. I urge every person to look back on how far we as Canadians have come as an accepting nation, and to pray for Russia and all of the countries that have yet to learn to treat women with the respect that they rightfully deserve.

giveness of everyone and everything. One character on his deathbed asks for the forgiveness of not just his mother and his servants, but even of the plants he sees outside. He longs for all things to be set right and recognizes that the disunity in everything else is not independent of him. His hands have blood on them, but there is profound hope in the divine love that will bring all the broken pieces of the world back together.

DEPRESSION, DOSTOEVSKY, AND THE DIVINE LOVE

CHASE MOLONEY This summer, a combination of severe depression and reading Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov taught me to love life. This is probably not a sentence many other people have said, I know, but it’s true. In order for my experience to make any sense, I have to give you a crash course in The Brothers Karamazov.

The hero of the story is a simple 20-year-old former monkin-training named Alyosha. He is not particularly charismatic, smart, or powerful. He is, in fact, relatively meek and simple. He lives out divine love to its fullest extent, and, for this reason, every character and every reader of the novel alike loves him.

It’s a robust Russian novel from 1880, that offers multiple layers of philosophical, political, psychological, and theological nuances that I have yet to understand fully. However, one primary theme shines throughout: divine love. This divine love of God consistently brings reconciliation and compels the characters to ask for-

There are many moments from the story that had a profound impact on me, but there’s one in particular that I have found myself rereading. Alyosha’s mentor at the monastery, Father Zosima, has just died. His faith is shaken and he is praying next to Zosima’s coffin as scriptures are be-

ing read aloud, and suddenly Alyosha’s mind is drawn to Jesus at the wedding of Cana. He sees a vision of Jesus providing an endless ﬂow of wine and inviting bystanders to the wedding feast, one of whom is his Elder, Zosima. After awaking from this dream, Alyosha got up in a state of ecstasy, he went outside and began to weep and kiss the grass beneath him. He wanted to ask forgiveness for all things, as he loved the earth. In fact, “he vowed ecstatically to love it.” That last phrase made no sense to me when I first read it. I was moved by Alyosha’s passionate experience of God; I too have experienced God in miraculous ways. But loving the world? Isn’t that the opposite of what we are supposed to do? Aren’t Christians supposed to hate this world? We learn to love our fellow men and love Christ, but this world is meant to be hated and rejected in favour of the promise of Heaven. At least, that is what I was taught growing up. I later learned that the vision of the End in the Bible is actually an earth made new and the reconciliation, but, nonetheless, the idea of loving this world, not the new one, made no sense to me. How could I love this world? A world where our own minds are subject to chemical imbalances that hijack us. A world where children get cancer and die. A world of cruel indifference where nature cares not who lives and who dies in natural disaster. How could I love such a world? I do not have an intellectual answer to this, but I do have an experience.

“Stranger Things” – Andrew Brookes

A couple weeks after reading the aforementioned passage in The Brothers Karamazov, I went for a walk around the lake near my old high school and the neighbourhoods around it. This was during the worst time in my depression. Previously, in bouts of depression, I would continue life as normal, besides the occasional missed day of school. This time was different, and I had to take the two months off work in the summer to sort out my identity. It was in the middle of this depression that I had Alyosha’s vow to “love this world” on my mind. As I walked up the road, there was a moment where it clicked for me. I have been given the gift of existing. The sunlight on my face is holy. The grass next to the road is holy. The pavement beneath my feet is holy. The whole world is wonderful, complex, mysterious and beautiful, but nearly all this wonder was lost in my childhood. From then on, I began to be genuinely thankful to be alive. My life did not look like I wanted it to. I was not the man I wanted to be. But I was alive, and that was, in itself, a joy. To be able to touch trees, talk to people and pray is a blessing. Even the experience of heartbreak is a joy, because it is only the sign of some meaningful connection that is now lost. And so, while I still have no answer as to why God allows children to have cancer, or adults to have brains which wage war against them, I do know that this life itself is to be loved. I wholeheartedly reject the idea that Christian virtue is to hate this body and life we have been given. “God so loved the world,” and so will I.

M O N EY, M AG I C , H E RO

JESSE MARA

who chose to save strangers instead of being rescued.

On the short list of incentives, one word comes to the forefront: money. It is why we drag ourselves out of our cozy beds at six, or even five in the morning; it is why we slave until midnight. It is why we sometimes neglect family and friends. But they understand - they need money too.

Only six people survived the crash initially and were clinging to the tail section of the plane. The temperature was below freezing, hypothermia was already setting in. There were hundreds of onlookers, but none of them could reach the victims. The police called in a helicopter, and when it arrived, it started transporting the freezing survivors to shore.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs helps identify some of our important incentives. I agree to their relevance, however, these human needs have one thing in common: they are common. Therefore they are mundane. They are fundamental, but mundane. We realize that there is something else beyond these components of life. No one quite understands what it is, but we have an intrinsic longing for it. To describe it I could use the term metaphysical phenomenon, but that is pretty dry and kind of long. I prefer the word magic. Magic trumps the mundane every time. Magic is rare, or else it too becomes mundane. Magic is something that happens inside you when you hear your favorite song. It’s when your team wins against all odds -- you jump to your feet without thinking; you shout and your hands shoot up by themselves. You are transported on a wave of euphoria along with the rest of the fans. Magic is the “spark” that ignites the “chemistry.” The result: romantic love. Love = Magic. It’s a transcendent experience. We long for these experiences and we do almost anything to find them, even attempting to induce them artificially by means of narcotics. However, the artificial stimulus is hazardous and never brings lasting benefits. The authentic experience is a lifelong treasure. These two categories of incentive-based actions: basic and transcendent - are both vital to human existence because both are centered on self. However, we recognize that there is a third level that takes us out of the “self,” and into a different category altogether. Acts of selﬂessness. What is our incentive for performing acts of a truly selﬂess nature? We can only hypothesize. It is a compulsion that seems to pull or push us to give something we have to someone who needs it more, without expecting anything in return. We do, however, receive something in return, and it’s always worth more than what we gave away. This is a kind of “magical” dynamic that seems to be an innate part of our universe. Dr. Luke recorded Jesus’ recommendation: “Give and it will be given back to you in good measure, running over!” There is another stage in the third category: true heroism. Making the ultimate sacrifice. Most of us don’t come in contact with this category, but this is truly impressive and it touches us deeply. On January 13th, 1982, a plane crashed into the Potomac river in Washington, D.C. Seventy-eight people lost their lives, including a hero

“Riverdale” – Andrew Richmond

Arland Dean Williams Jr was the first to grab the rope. Then he did something unexpected: he passed it to a woman beside him. She was rescued while he remained in the river. The helicopter returned and again he grabbed the rope. Again he gave it to a fellow survivor. This happened five times in a row. When he was the last one in the water another tragedy occurred. The tail section that he was clinging to shifted and sank. The helicopter didn’t make it back in time. What was his incentive? Why would he knowingly sacrifice his safety to help rescue strangers? This seems to be the highest category of human action. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13, NLT) Apparently, his incentive was love. How did he obtain it? He possessed a level of love that gave him the ability to be the greatest kind of hero. He lost his life that day, when he could have survived. “So the man in the water had his own natural powers. He could not make ice storms, or freeze the water until it froze blood. But he could hand life over to a stranger, and that is in itself a power of nature. The man in the water pitted himself against an implacable, impersonal enemy; he fought it with charity; he held it to a standoff. He was the best we can do” – The New York Times Magazine He was doing - on a smaller scale - what Jesus Christ did for humanity: taking their place in death. But Christ won in the end, and I believe that Arland Williams did as well. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” - Jim Elliot

SETTING OUR SIGHTS BECCA CARSIENCE

The future.

most of us, is whatever is just around the cor-

next verse by saying, “think about the things

ner.

of heaven, not the things of earth” (ESV).

As students at a Christian university, we are

Isn’t it interesting that we are commanded

being equipped for our careers and pursuing

to set our sights - not just on Jesus - but on

What do you think of when you read those words? For me, I think of how to successfully reach

growing in our relationship with God. Trinity heaven itself? If we look at our conversations,

the end of the semester, or what I should do does both things well but what’s interesting

or the sermons we hear, they have a consis-

in the summer, for my next school year, or af-

is that we, as a school body, talk a lot about

tent focus on Jesus and what He has done

ter graduation.

our futures, but we rarely talk about our ulti-

(or is doing) in our lives. Which, of course, is

mate futures - the future of living with Christ

necessary and good, but the idea of heaven is so often overlooked.

I imagine that would be the response from in heaven. most Trinity students. The future means what is happening one or maybe two years from Christians are commanded in Colossians 3:1

In Randy Alcorn’s book, Heaven, he says, “the

now. If pushed, we may be able to make up

to “set your sights on the realities of heav-

command and its restatement, implies there

a ﬁve-year goal or a ten-year plan, but even

en, where Christ sits in the place of honor at

is nothing automatic about setting our minds

that can seem so far away. “The future”, for God’s right hand.” It then repeats this in the

on heaven. In fact, most commands assume a resistance to obeying them, which sets up the necessity for the command.” It is so easy to get stuck on our day-to-day routines, our earthly futures. Nearly everything in our lives is focused on what is happening today, and how we can achieve our dreams. It is a challenge to think about twenty years into the future, much less our eternal lives after death. Yet, we are commanded to think of heaven. When we focus on heaven and the glory to come, we can have hope and joy, even in the midst of suffering. When we focus on our eternal futures, we gain the perspective we need to follow Christ wholeheartedly. Setting our sights on heaven lets us have joy in the midst of suffering.

There’s no question that this world is broken. We hear it every day on the news, we see it in sickness, and we feel it in our own loss and heartache. Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, sin was brought into the world. Now, we have to live with pain, war, and suffering

“Trading Post” – Kaitlyn Fehr

11 But we do not need to be discouraged be-

yet,we are commanded to think of heaven

cause we know that this brokenness will not last forever. In Romans 8:19, Paul explains how even in the midst of the suffering, he still has hope: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (ESV). The brokenness of this world is beyond comparison to the hope of glory—the hope of heaven. When we set our sights on heaven, the trials of today fade. We have hope because Jesus is walking beside us and we know that one day we will stand with Him in glory. Yes, there is pain in this world. The Bible doesn’t say that following Jesus is easy. It says that He will be with us through it all, that suffering will make us steadfast, and that the trials we face are nothing compared to the glory that is to come. Hebrews 12 refers to the Christian life as a race. A race can be difﬁcult and tiring, but we run the race in the midst of pain and exhaustion because of the hope of ﬁnishing. In the midst of the trials, pain, heartbreak, loss, and suffering of this world, we can have hope and joy because of the promise that God is with us and that we have a joyous future awaiting us in heaven. Setting our sights on heaven helps us make Christ-like decisions.

We do this because we long to be with the

But if our focus is only on our earthly futures,

One who saved us. We do this because we

then the world will dictate how we live our

Whatever you’re aiming for in the future

want to worship and honor the One who laid

lives. It will be far too easy to let the worries,

changes the way you behave now. If you want

down his life for us. We want to be like Christ

judgments, and desires of this world over-

to be a nurse, you get a nursing degree, at-

because we stand in awe of the grace and

whelm us – pulling us further away from Christ

tend clinical, and work hard to be successful.

love He has shown to us, through dying for

and the life he demonstrated for us. So, let us

If your goal is to be a professional musician or

our sins, and we marvel at the power we see

focus on heaven instead.

athlete, you practice and pour yourself into

in His resurrection. Heaven should not be overlooked. It is the

your training. What you focus on for the future The magnitude of that grace drives us to

prize at the end of the race. It is the reason

want to worship in response to His goodness.

we have hope in the midst of trial. It gives us

The same is true of our future in heaven. If

Romans 12:1 asks us to present ourselves as

courage to live as Christ did. It is the world

we look to heaven as the future, it changes

living sacriﬁces to God – meaning that we

made new and perfect again. And it is the

our current perception and actions. Just as an

no longer live for ourselves and

reason that Jesus laid down his life – so that

athlete would train and behave as an athlete

world, but that we are on

we could be in relationship with him forever.

should – we live and behave – as a Christian

earth to serve Him and

Let’s live in that hope. Let’s live in that joy.

should. We follow our playbook, the Bible,

follow Him.

Let’s ﬁx our eyes on our hope for the future.

dictates your current mindset and actions.

the

and train ourselves to follow it. We look up to our mentor and savior, Jesus, and follow his teachings and commands.

“Constantly telling everyone how much you have to do” – Chase Moloney

ARTS & CULTURE LOCALHOST Like “retirement” in the Blade Runner ﬁlms, “reformatting” and “refurbishment” are euphemisms for the killing of an individual who has been deemed nonhuman. Only a person can be murdered, and programs are merely switched off, deleted and erased. There is no spirit or soul to be violated, only mechanical parts and bits of information to be disassembled and repurposed and overwritten. You are no longer a spectator in LOCALHOST.

ERIC STEIN 5:43am. First Cycle, 2037. The buzzing of a phone, the rustling of sheets, and then light. So begins LOCALHOST, the latest game from developers Sophia Park and Penelope Evans. It is your “ﬁrst day on the job in the last days before the singularity.” Your new employer is summoning you on your cell phone. You need to format and prepare some spare drives for refurbishment. You are told not to “pay attention to the ‘souls’ inside those drives.” You are told that “synthetics will do anything to seem like a human.” You are told that they are made to be that way, and to not ask any questions. This description for the PC game, found on its download page at the indie gaming website itch.io, is interspersed with eerie neon pixel art of a “personal assistant gynoid model” suspended by a thick cable attached to the nape of her neck. She has only a face, a torso, and a single arm. She stares down to the left: confused, pained, searching. She is there to serve as host for the souls—for four colour-coded hard drives— that must be reformatted. That you must reformat.

This entanglement of the player is the special capacity of games as a medium. It is why I love games. But I hesitate to identify as a “gamer,” especially since the Gamergate controversy in 2014 when the gamer identity became so strongly associated with an appallingly misogynistic subculture. Though there are many negative stereotypes imposed on the gaming community, I do not consider most of them accurate. However, I would argue that toxic masculinity is definitely one of the most accurate stereotypes. There exists a venomous and violent macho-exclusivity that wants to define, once and for all, who is a real gamer, and what is a real game. But this entirely misses the point of games, and serves only to perpetuate the stereotypes that prevent many from ever engaging with the medium. This is why games like LOCALHOST are important. As an “interactive text adventure” or work of “interactive fiction,” LOCALHOST plays more like a multimedia choose-your-own-adventure novel than more properly “game-like” games, such as Call of Duty, FIFA, or League of Legends. You cannot win at LOCALHOST; you cannot beat it; there is no competition. It requires nothing from the player but to read, choose, and click. And for $4.99, it is far more economically accessible than most triple-A game titles today. But it is still a game. It requires you to play, to participate, to be immersed. Games like LOCALHOST are the sort of games that welcome non-gamers into the fold, that present the variety, richness, and the depth of games as an artistic medium to those who might see them

STRANGER THINGS 2 CAUTION: LOTS OF STRANGER THINGS 2 SPOILERS

SAM GREWAL Debuting in 2016, Stranger Things became Netflix’s surprise hit. The first season focused on Eleven and her past, whereas the second season attempts to answer the questions that arose from Will’s experiences in the Upside Down and the monster that attacked him. Although Stranger Things’ fun lies in its homage to popular horror movies and 80’s references, at its heart it’s a story about the strength that comes out of what makes one different. Season 2, entitled Stranger Things 2, begins a year after the events of the first season, where Will was trapped in the Upside Down, a dark physical realm ruled by the Demogorgon. Although Will escapes, the season’s opener reveals how much the past is still haunting him. Throughout the earlier episodes, he progresses from being haunted, to being physically consumed by what he fears. Noah Schapps’ performance as Will is especially powerful, considering the fact that his character’s presence is felt but never seen in the prior season.

Eleven’s character development is equally as interesting, despite the fact that she hides out in Hopper’s cabin for most of the season. Hopper’s desire to shield Eleven from harm is only achieved by having her keep her special abilities under the radar. This creates a significant amount of tension between Eleven and H opper, which results in a heated argument that leads to Eleven leaving Hawkins to look for her family. After encountering Kali, who has special abilities of her own, she comes to embrace who she is and learns how her uniqueness makes her vital to the people she cares about. This is an important turn in the development of the season, with a standalone episode being dedicated to fleshing out Eleven’s history and identity. Stranger Things’ second season may have some dark spots, but it is never without a glimmer of hope. Much of this hope lies in each character finding strength in their uniqueness, embracing their idiosyncrasies to conquer the darkness that threatens Hawkins.

“Playing cupid” – Rees Morgan

only as frivolous entertainment. Our games cannot be separated from the social, historical, and political questions with which we are confronted in everyday life, and games like LOCALHOST bring these questions to the forefront. These questions include some that I have already mentioned: questions of identity, belonging, humanity, violence - and questions of who counts and who is real. LOCALHOST demands that you look someone in the face and determine whether she should live or die—not something, but someone; not it, but she. It puts you into dialogue with another being and requires you to choose, minimizing the responsibility for a life down to the inconsequential gesture of a mouse-click. After plugging and unplugging one of the drives several times, her identity begins to slip away, ﬂattened out by a new familiarity with the body to which she has been conﬁned—torture of control; traumatic discontinuity. When you ask her about a prior remark she tells you to “disregard” it. “An obsession with the cycles of others is irrelevant,” she says. “How may I assist you?” But it is precisely this obsession that LOCALHOST awakens. The cycles of others are far from irrelevant. Particularity, carnality, history, motivation—each drive, each spirit, uniquely beckons us to answer, to become involved, to play. But the stakes of the game that Park and Evans have created are far from frivolous; this play is deadly serious. The game has several different endings, depending on the questions you ask and the responses you give to each of the four hard drives. The credits roll. And then, you can start the game again. 5:43am. First Cycle, 2037. The buzzing of a phone, the rustling of sheets, and then light.

WHY YOUTUBE IS STARTING TO SUCK fore, since content-creators are the ones bringing people to YouTube in the first place — they not only provide YouTube with traffic, they also provide YouTube YouTube is not the same as you might re- with money. member. It used to be a platform in which people could voice their opinions freely YouTube wants to encourage content-creand upload whatever videos they wanted, ators to drive more traffic to YouTube, so long as they fit into YouTube’s commu- so they split their ad revenue with connity guidelines (no excessive violence, no tent-creators. This agreement between porn, etc.). Today, YouTube is becoming content-creators and YouTube has led a place where authenticity is dead, your to the blossoming of thousands of conopinion doesn’t matter, and large corpo- tent-creators who are able to make a fullrations are valued over dedicated con- time living off of creating videos, due to tent-creators. the sheer amount of traffic, and therefore ad revenue, they bring to their channels. It’s all rather complicated to explain, but I When content-creators succeed, YouTube will attempt to break it down. succeeds. JOEY SCHWEITZER

The people who make videos on YouTube are the aforementioned “content-creators.” Obviously, YouTube likes content-creators because they bring people to their platform, and without them, there would be no YouTube. However, YouTube wants to proﬁt because otherwise their company would ﬁzzle out. YouTube receives their money by partnering with corporations, who display their advertisements on YouTube’s videos. Almost as if they were commercials on TV. Every time someone views an ad before a video, the corporation to whom the ad belongs pays YouTube money, creating ad revenue. Clearly, YouTube gets more ad revenue when more people watch the ads. There-

Now comes the problem. Recently, some corporations have been offended by, or do not wish to display ads, on certain types of videos — namely, videos with questionable, controversial, or mature subject matter. They feel that such content doesn’t “fit in” with their brand. This puts YouTube in an awkward situation, because by corporations limiting the amount of videos they display their ads on, they’re also limiting the amount of people that see and click on such ads, therefore, limiting YouTube’s ad revenue. To solve this problem, YouTube can either find corporations that aren’t offended by controversial content, or force YouTubers to modify their content to fit in with corporate standards.

“A535 for initiation” – Jared La Mar

Unfortunately, YouTube is trending towards the latter. YouTubers are now constantly getting their videos demonetized and flagged for inappropriate content, often on a whim — with no explanation, because YouTube deems them as “non-advertiser-friendly.” It’s YouTube’s attempt to re-train content-creators, punish them for being too controversial, and reward them for keeping things PG. This has serious implications for content-creators, because YouTube is no longer a safe place for them to make the videos they want to make. So do they sacrifice their income, or their authenticity? Something has to give. The reason why this whole situation sucks is because that authenticity is what made YouTube great in the first place. Swaths of people flock to YouTube on the daily to watch content-creators like Pewdiepie and H3H3 curse angrily at video games, say wildly inappropriate yet hilarious comments, and interact with their fans in a way that was never possible with traditional television. In fact, one might say that YouTube, like many internet-based media outlets, used to act in a sort of rebellion against corporation-ruled, highly-impersonal television networks and big-money mainstream media. But with YouTube’s newly adopted advertiser-pleasing philosophy, it’s becoming the same monster it originally fought to destroy.

“OH LOUIE”

JOEL REDEKOP I feel like I owe a lot to Louis C.K. I was ﬁfteen years old when I ﬁrst came across the comedian, when I torrented his monumental 2010 special Hilarious, listening to it on the drive to Osoyoos. Downloaded onto my iPod Classic, I remember laughing hysterically through its entire 79-minute runtime, being unable to respond to my dad’s question of “what could possibly be that funny?” There was no way he would have been okay with me listening to C.K.’s crass, yet “honest,” brand of comedy.

cle, it is noted that C.K. became the “unlikely conscience of the comedy scene.” While crude and unﬂinching, sharing his thoughts on sex and relationships without much of a second thought, his words seemed to be those of an honest person; there was a strange goodness to them. Much of the time, it was male turpitude that came under ﬁre. Take, for instance, this joke from his 2013 special Oh My God:

“The courage that it takes for a woman to say yes [to a date] is beyond anything I can imagine. A woman saying yes to a date with a man is literally insane. And ill advised. And the whole existence of the species counts on them doing it! And I don’t know… how… My love for him only grew over why do women still go out with time. Louie was among my favor- guys? There is no greater threat ite – if not my favorite – TV shows to women than men! We’re the for most of its five-season stretch, number one threat to women! especially when it came to its […] You know what our number strange, poignant fourth season. one threat is? Heart disease.” Every time he was a guest on a talk show, he seemed to have The joke is an attack on sleazy something insightful to say. While guys, and throughout his comemy taste for comedy has broad- dic career, C.K.’s public persona ened since I first listened to Hi- painted him as one of the good larious, I feel like I can appreciate ones. Perhaps this is why the unthe many talented comics out covering of his private life seems there because C.K. had my atten- like something more than inextion first. cusable actions: it feels like it is accompanied by the Then 2017 happened. betrayal of his entire audience. It is not just me that Back in August, Tig Notaro, a feels this way either: jourlong-time colleague of C.K., was nalists such as David Sims asked by The Daily Beast why she for The Atlantic and Matt distanced herself from the come- Brennan for Paste exdian. She responded by asking pressed their disgust for if C.K. had acknowledged the the comedian in long arsexual assault rumours that had ticles, the tone being far been floating around the indus- more personal than reactry, telling the Beast, “I think it’s tions to Harvey Weinstein important to take care of that, to or Kevin Spacey. handle that, because it’s serious to be assaulted.” C.K. denied the Earlier this year, I wrote an claims – at least, until November article for Mars’ Hill in which 9th, when the New York Times re- I argued for the audience’s leased an exposé on the comedi- need to distance the art an, with five women accusing him f r o m of sexual misconduct. A long re- t h e sponse from C.K. followed, with him admitting that “these stores are true.” artThough sexual assault and mis- i s t : conduct allegations have been an after all, everyday occurrence these past many of couple months, there is some- history’s most thing different about C.K.’s narra- celebrated artists led tive. In the New York Times arti- dubious private lives, their

work proving that something good can come out of bad places. After all, we are all fallen, and we all have some sort of skeleton in our respective closets. While I feel no sympathy for a celebrity or Hollywood suit who destroys their career out of an abuse of their power and inﬂuence, I argue that it is alright to enjoy a Woody Allen ﬁlm, or American Beauty in the case of Kevin Spacey. But there’s something far more… “icky” about C.K.’s actions. There is something very disturbing about someone making themselves out to be a supporter of women, only to abuse them in their spare time. Unlike other individuals facing allegations, C.K.’s entire output feels like it has been given a new context. Take the joke written above: it does not read the same way after C.K.’s private life has been unearthed. It reads like a man who is trying to distance himself from his actions, trying to excuse himself from the damage he has done to the women he has abused. The Atlantic reports that near the end of his once-upcoming, now-neve r -

“shack” – Manny Dewsbury

to-be-released ﬁlm I Love You Daddy, C.K. says to his wife (Edie Falco), “I’m sorry, women. Please, on behalf of all women, please let you all know that I’m very f***king sorry,” an apology which is accepted by Falco. “At least I’m self-aware,” you can almost hear him say. With his comedy being so closely tied to his personal life, it is quite clear that most of C.K.’s creative output is unsalvageable. It is the jokes themselves that seem tainted. Nevertheless, it does relate to the question that I raised in the article from earlier this year: Is it moral to reject C.K.’s art, while embracing, say, Roman Polanski’s? What about listening to the work of Phil Spector, the inﬂuential pop producer who eventually murdered his girlfriend? Where is the line drawn? Is the only difference that we’re forced to look at C.K., laugh with him, as he contradicts his own statements? Do we simply not want the reminder that we are enjoying the work of a not-very-good person? There are no clear-cut answers to these questions, and that is why they deserve conversations rather than generalizations.

STORIES FROM THE NATIONS

This issue’s topic is: Incentive

ALBANIA

SOPHIA DOWN

Guatemala has the highest illiteracy rate in Central America. Although primary education is compulsory and provided by the government, the average child only receives four years of education. This is because the educational disparity extends beyond corruption, poverty, and accessibility. While there are various NGOs and nonprofit programs established throughout the country, their resources are insufficient to meet everyone’s needs. There is no sustainable backup plan or governmental support systems in place. As family is central to Guatemalan culture and forms the backbone of its society, every member has a responsibility and role to fill. No one gets a free ride, not even children. This endurance mentality is subsequent to the civil war that ended in 1996. Because of the war, Guatemalans were forced to be resourceful and to seek opportunities beyond the borders of their homeland, namely North America. Those who do achieve a higher level of education recognize its value and the opportunities that come with it, and as a result, students are motivated by their

Two years ago, I had my ﬁrst experience with a non-Western culture. Albania enveloped me with wild mountains, rogue sheep dogs, and a lot of bread. I fell in love with everything that was different from what I had previously known.

shops all day.

I remember times when I arranged to meet with an Albanian friend, and she would arrive agonizingly late. This was simply because on the ten-minute walk over to the coffee shop, she would be invited in for coffee (two or I spent most of my six months there three times) by fellow villagers that in the sleepy southern village of Erse- lingered at their open doors, awaiting ka. It took me a few months to adjust a familiar face to show hospitality. In to their abandonment of time and a similar manner, I was once hosted punctuality, but when I ﬁnally stopped by a family who made an extravagant looking for a clock, my eyes opened. dinner for me. I learned later that they went into debt just to serve me. Like many Eastern cultures, Albanians are not motivated by time or money, What motivates us here in Canada? but by relationships. Albania is a poor How often do we arrange our time to country, and few people excel in a ca- beneﬁt anyone but ourselves? Surely reer, thus success is not obtained in there is room, even on a busy univera business-like manner. Many young sity campus, to break bread together men in Erseka saw their fathers and and sit together; to steep in each othgrandfathers unemployed, happy and er’s presence. somehow making ends meet, so they sies to conquer the darkness that would imitate their elders by drop- threatens Hawkins. ping out of school and sitting in coffee

curiosity, personal dedication, and dreams for a higher standard of living. A common motivation for Guatemalans to ﬁnd work is genuine necessity or perceived desperation. As the country’s monopolies are controlled by about ﬁve families, the only means that citizens have to break from the cycle of poverty is creativity and resilience.

GUATEMALA LUNGI ROBERTS

This claim is supported by the evident sales on most street corners, exports to global markets, and informal transport of merchandise, (smuggling), to areas with higher market values. The primary economy is agrarian, meaning they ﬁrst and foremost strive to achieve independence from slavery, starvation, and subsistence farming. “Animo! Animo!” (cheer up/take heart) - is a cheer heard amongst Guatemalans throughout daily tasks. As far as I have observed from interactions on the individual level, Guatemalans have the same incentive as everyone, accompanied by a similar assortment of agendas dependent on whether they are tuned in with the Spirit or their own desires. “TWUSA coffee” – Cheyanne Makelki

SPORTS

IT'S THE MOST FUN WHEN YOU WIN

THE CAVALIERS' COMEBACK TYLER JONES A lot can happen over three years. Just ask LeBron James.

JAMISON DERKSEN

King James has seen many things throughout his second tenure with the Cavaliers: a new head coach, a championship, two losses in the finals, and a seemingly constant roster turnover along the way. Of all the triumphs and losses since 2015, this year may be his most important one yet.

I want the medal I need my name on the trophy I desire to be the best Why am I driven to win? I don’t want to be inadequate

Why? For the first time in a while, James’ team is looking at an unfamiliar face: losing. The Cavaliers have started the season on a bad note as they currently sit outside of a playoff spot in the weak Eastern Conference. It’s not looking like a good situation.

or show weakness I don’t want silver I don’t want “next time.” But, the dressing room is silent Fighting back our tears, our dismay

Meanwhile in the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors maintain their supremacy. After winning their second championship in three years, the Warriors have never looked stronger. Every fan knows the NBA is dominated by the Warriors, and they will continue to dominate until another team rises to challenge them.

Spectators saying “it’s just a game” It may appear trivial, but it’s critical When I think back to my past successes Wins are not in the forefront The losses overshadow The times we were in reach. We drove hours to get annihilated in the provincial final Red card, no provincial championship We couldn’t score in a two game league final I was the last cut at tryouts. I don’t want to accept not being good enough Or hear I need to add ‘guts’ Or hear I can do better Those remarks are a result of loss. Driven by the fans Driven by the trophy Driven from within Why are you driven to win?

This offseason was a peculiar one, as the league saw a major power shift when weak teams realized they had to sell their talent, or were unable to retain it, and strong teams became even stronger. The Warriors did not make any significant moves because they did not need to. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers lost James’ sidekick this offseason, as Kyrie Irving requested a trade and was dealt to the other main Eastern Conference title contenders, the Boston Celtics. In return, the Cavaliers received a good future draft pick, Jae Crowder, and an injured Isaiah Thomas. As Thomas will not be back in the game for a good length of time, the fate of the Cavaliers rests heavily

“6 loaves bread” – Joel Hansen

on James’ shoulders. Do not be worried though, the King is averaging nearly thirty points per game and is close to averaging a triple-double as well. However, it is not the offensive side of the game which has determined the Cavaliers season thus far, as it has revolved around their defensive woes. The Cavaliers are in the top 10 in the NBA in regards to points scored per game, but are near the bottom of the league in points against. Cleveland’s defense was never the best, but this is a new low for the reigning kings of the Eastern Conference. So many factors are contributing to the current downfall of the Cavaliers, but others look at it as the downfall of LeBron James. At 32-years old, King James looks nowhere near slowing down, despite heavy criticism from fans and analysts around the league. This season is different than most, as James hasn’t missed the NBA finals since 2010. The Cavaliers will bounce back. Counting out a team led by James generally backfires, for example, the 2016 NBA Finals. The Cavaliers were down 3-1 in the best-of-7 series, but ended up winning the series in seven games. There is a spark in his eyes and he wants to win now more than ever. Time is running out for King James, can he pull it off?

WHY ISN’T BRETT FONTAINE IN THE NHL?

JOEY SCHWEITZER If you have ever forgotten to make plans on a Saturday night, then perhaps you’ve found yourself meandering over to every TWU student’s favourite last resort — watching the Bombers game.

player who would sacrifice vanity for athletic betterment any day of the week.

And if you are like most people, you might have been pleasantly surprised by how much fun it is. The electric energy of the screaming fans, the vicious stick-whacking and questionable hits behind the net — and the dirty scrums in front of it — all culminating together to create an atmosphere that can only be described as intoxicating. Blinded by euphoria, you may also start to wonder how many of these hunks are single. “Wait—I recognize that guy. He plays for the Bombers? His ugliness has somewhat disappeared.” — The fans (probably) Perhaps the most enticing sight to see on the ice is the smooth-gliding, heart-palpitation-inducing majesty, that is Brett Fontaine, the captain. In the early days of Bombers, Fontaine used to have a long-flowing, hazelnut mane. Brunette, like the biblical Samson. Today, he rocks a tasteful, but timeless, short fade. Legend says that he had his locks chopped off for improved aerodynamics. After all, Fontaine is the kind

o f

With such immense talent, one has to ask why Fontaine didn’t take the Golden Knights up on their offer to play in the big show.

In any c a s e , within the

first few seconds of seeing Fontaine hit the ice during warm-up, it is clear he is playing at a level of his own. In fact, professional hockey’s most trusted insider, Bob McKenzie, has rumored that George McPhee, General Manager of the Vegas Golden Knights, sought to acquire Fontaine prior to the 2017-2018 campaign. McKenzie speculates if that were to have happened, he would have played alongside James Neal on the Knights’ top line. Unfortunately, Fontaine turned down the offer due to unknown reasons.

Aside from professional praise, his teammates share similar sentiments towards their captain. “The kid is just lightning out there. Buddy’s got filthy mitts, to say the least,” says Rich Nickel II, newly acquired big-bodied defender for the Bombers. “We’re kind of like the Oilers in the 80’s. They dominated, we dominate. They had Gretzky, and we have Brettzky,” says Jamison Derksen, the Bombers’ second most reliable offensive weapon.

GAM E STATS

3-1 W vs Western (Nov. 12) vs UBC (5:30PM, Nov. 3) WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Recent

3-2 L vs UBC (Nov. 4) The Spartans finished with a silver medal, losing to UBC in the Canada West final.

The Spartans are 6-2 so far in the season, and are currently tied for 3rd in the Canada West standings.

75-71 W vs UBC (Nov. 18) Upcoming

vs Brandon (6:00PM, Dec. 1) and (5:00PM, Dec. 2)

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

The Spartans are 0-8 so far in the season, and are currently at the bottom of the Canada West standings.

Recent

WOMEN The Spartans won the Canada West Silver medal, led by All Stars Regan Yee (CW 1st Team, 1st Team All Canadian), Jouen Chang (CW 2nd Team), Mikaela Smart (CW 2nd Team), and Joanna Williams (CW 2nd Team).

Upcoming vs Brandon (8:00PM, Dec. 1) and (7:00PM, Dec. 2) MEN’S VOLLEYBALL Recent 3-0 W vs Mount Royal (Nov. 18)

U Sports Championships (Nov. 12)

The Spartans are 7-1 so far in the regular season, and are currently tied for 3rd in the Canada West standings.

Upcoming

vs Alberta (8:00PM, Nov. 24) and (7:00PM, Nov. 25)

Canadian Championships (Nov. 25) in Kingston Ont.

MEN’S HOCKEY

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Recent

Upcoming

MEN The Spartans won the Canada West Bronze medal, led by All-Stars Declan White (CW 1st Team, 2nd Team All Canadian) and Caleb De Jong (CW 1st Team).

Upcoming

3-2 W vs Selkirk (Nov. 17)

And with an attitude like that, the boys can’t help but love Fontaine back.

Recent

84-76 L vs UBC (Nov. 18)

“I bleed orange.” — Brett Fontaine (probably)

WOMEN’S SOCCER

MEN’S SOCCER

Recent

Bombers Manager, Joey Schweitzer, speculates that Fontaine is not leaving the Bombers anytime soon; not only because he wants to focus on school right now, but more so because of his profound love for the boys.

The Spartans are 8-3 so far in the season, and are currently 2nd in the BCIHL.

Recent 3-0 W vs Mount Royal (Nov. 18)

vs Van. Island (7:00PM, Nov. 25)

The Spartans are 5-3 so far in the regular season, and are currently tied for 4th in the Canada West standings. Upcoming

vs Alberta (6:00PM, Nov. 24) and (5:00PM, Nov. 25)

“Mark Clark” – Holly Gust

HUMOUR

18 DEAR FIFTH YEAR

Dear Fifth Year,

I’m hopeless. I’ve spent too many hours sitting in study rooms and staring out of library windows and I need a change of scenery. What are the best places to study off-campus? Sincerely, Bored with the Norm

10 TIPS FROM YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD TA ANONYMOUS We are upperclassmen who are or have been Teacher’s Assistants for the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, and we have some common pet peeves regarding our jobs. As much as we love marking your papers and midterms, there are some things we think you should know (they’re driving us slightly insane.) 1. You need to use a pencil for Scantrons. What? Crazy right?! Nope! It says so right on the Scantron paper! We promise that the Scantron machine is a way better marker than we ever will be, and in order to take advantage of that, you need to use a PENCIL. Thanks fam.

Dear Hopeless Norm, Ah, study rooms! There is a specific type of depression I associate with the speckled walls of the Fraser study rooms and the novel Silas Marner. I call it, “I think I’m going to fail ENGL 103.” I’ve never been off campus myself, since I live in the pond, but I’ve heard tell of a few off-campus locations that are prime for studying. 1) Lelem’ Arts and Cultural Cafe This little coffee shop is located beyond the train tracks in Fort Langley and features a butterfly painting on the wall that is fun to stare at. The drinks here are kinda expensive, but you’ll consistently forget that every time you go. 2) Under the Glover Road/Highway 1 Overpass Conveniently located just past CPC, this grassy ditch is a dangerous and possibly-illegal place to get those creative juices flowing. The constant fear of being struck by a passing vehicle is sure to increase your adrenaline levels and encourage… I’m kidding. Do not go here. It is dangerous.

3) Denny’s This TWU classic is popular primarily because it’s open 24-hours and it’s easy to forget the feeling you get after eating pancakes. After five cups of bottomless coffee and moderately-slow wifi, you’ll relate to your paper on Dante’s Inferno on a whole new level. For an extra-Bourgeoisie experience, check out the one by Willowbrook Mall, known for its sleek, modern bathrooms. 4) Save-On Foods I’m not going to lie—I just want to see someone doing homework in the cereal aisle. 5) Trinity Western House Feeling homesick? Check out this enigma that no one fully understands. It’s cozy, has good hours, and someone greets you every damn time you walk in. What is this place? Does anyone know why this is a thing? If you’re unable to find a way off campus to these locations, I recommend the library basement. There are no windows. It feels like a post-apocalyptic storm shelter. It’s awesome. Sincerely, Abe, a fifth-year Need advice? Submit your questions and pleas for help at marshill.ca

2. Words should not look like doodles. As much as we may want to, we can’t give you marks if we can’t read your writing. If you didn’t learn cursive writing skills in grade three, please don’t try ﬂaunting your talents on your midterms’ short answer section. We highly recommend that you save your fancy penmanship skills for your cute love notes to your future wife/ husband. 3. Using a colon / semi-colon will not make your paper look smarter…especially if you use it incorrectly. Colons and semicolons are like sports referees; no one really appreciates them when they’re doing their job well, but people will rage at them when they suck. Here’s the moral of the story: stick with the punctuations you know how to use! 4. Directly answer the question. Going on rants will not get you very far in life, or at least we think so. It won’t allow us to give you full marks...because you never answer the question. We would very much appreciate your gracious act in preventing us from sifting through your convoluted answers! 5. If a question says to list only four items, list only four items. Don’t add a ﬁfth. Your efforts will be

wasted because we will ignore that ﬁfth item approximately 100% of the time. That would be sad, both for us and for you. Well, mostly you. 6. Feel free to draw on your midterms and tests. The best thing about marking is ﬁnding random doodles of monsters and stick-man ninjas. Thank you. Please keep it up. 7. Did you know that the Writing Center is a great free resource that helps you with papers? It can make yours sound like an actual university-level essay! Whoooa! You have got to take advantage of this! Have we mentioned it’s FREE?! 8. CITE YOUR SOURCES. It’s really awesome that you’re adding a Christian perspective to your paper, but just make sure you cite it, okay? Also, please don’t add a random Bible verse at the end of your paper on lake fungus…unless there’s a clear correlation between the Bible and lake fungus…(and if there is, please cite your source, thanks!). 9. There are cool websites out there, such as OWL Purdue. They will provide all the things you need to know about different citation styles including APA, MLA, and Chicago. You can access such websites on any electronic device, including the one you use to write your paper (or to text on during class). Just give it a try—it’s guaranteed to be a HOOT! 10. There are ways to be sneak around the min/ max paper length but, just so you know, we can always tell when your font isn’t in 12 pts. We suggest that you try using other tactics including following directions or befriending a sneaky upperclassman for advice. As fellow students, we empathize with you and we want you to succeed. We also hate you a little bit. We hope these tips will help you as much as it will make our lives a little easier.

SURVIVAL OF THE FINISHED-WITH-SCHOOL KATE NUNDAL With Christmas approaching, now is the time to begin making plans to survive the holidays. I am sure that you, as I, often ﬁnd yourself at some family event where an older relative approaches you, with gleaming eyes that demand conversation. Inevitably, the question arises. As you wander the paths of bland conversation you have so often traversed before, you have strayed unhappily into the territory of your schooling. Before you can safely move on, your relative smiles predatorily: “And what are your plans after graduating?”

I am here to tell you you need no longer prevaricate when asked this, nor must you repeat your actual life plans (should you have any) until they have been so beaten to death they lack any lustre they had previously. Reply, simply: “I want to be an undertaker.” Your relative may mention, in some surprise, isn’t special education necessary for such a career? Tell them such education is an investment. The salary is reasonable, and you are practically guaranteed business, unless the Rapture should happen, in which case you will have other things to worry about. I would suggest, rather than get-

“Scalping Gala tickets” – Andrew Kimball

ting to the stage in which justiﬁcation of your claim is necessary, begin reciting “I want to be an undertaker” over and over as loud as you possibly can until the room is silenced, all eyes are on you, and your foolish relative (and no one else in the room) will dare bring up the topic of your future again.

OVER THE HILL W H AT T H E H E C K I S WE ARE MONTHLY? ALEX GUST TWUSA’s We Are Monthly is a new online-only production for the 2017-18 school year, published and distributed by TWUSA. Many students have written to us, wondering what our thoughts are on the production and its coexistence alongside Mars’ Hill. Of note, many of the questions relate to content and purpose behind the two publications, and any potential overlap. Let’s explore what exactly WAM is, and the goals TWUSA has set for the publication. WAM is, in essence, a TWUSA newsletter. It lists the upcoming events for the month, allows for an outlet for the various diverse voices on campus, and gives TWUSA a space to fulﬁll one of their main goals as per their mission statement: enriching the student experience. TWUSA’s dream for WAM is to be a positive voice on campus, further emphasizing to the student body that TWUSA is not just a

group that puts on events and makes coffee. Mars’ Hill and We Are Monthly have been designed to be completely different in purpose. TWUSA will continue to try to focus on different stories than Mars’ Hill through their publication of WAM, trying to tell stories, rather than reporting. TWUSA has expressed desire to collaborate with Mars’ Hill to ensure there is no content overlap, although what that looks like speciﬁcally is still undetermined. Speciﬁcally, WAM’s goal is to portray a deeper, more complete spiritual understanding of our peers, and to explore the purpose behind our fellow students’ initiatives on and off campus, such as the recently-featured TRAC and Lighthouse Voyage. While Mars’ Hill focuses on reporting the news accurately, in all of its forms, WAM’s format of being a magazine concentrates on the stories behind the people. WAM, in the mind of creator Josh Onwugbonu, is meant to be something that you can read multiple times, and each time, get something different from the articles. Though the original purpose was to be a TWUSA newsletter, it has grown to become more than that. WAM is a collection of stories, more like a well-designed book than a newspaper. It’s meant to “inspire us and motivate us as students and members

of the Student Association to share our stories and motivations with each other.” Because WAM is a new publication, it’s still in its primary stages. There is a learning process, and a re-alignment process, as the publication searches for its place on Trinity’s campus. Even in moving forward to next semester, Josh has plans for the new publication. “Things will change with We Are Monthly…there will deﬁnitely be some major changes before the year is out.” WAM’s hosting fee costs TWUSA a set amount of $400 for the academic year. Currently, there are no plans to merge WAM and Mars’ Hill in any capacity. WAM’s length and colour design would not ﬁnancially work as a printed publication, as it features 40 full-colour pages, and Mars’ Hill currently prints 20, with eight of those pages as colour, the rest being grayscale. If you have any more questions regarding the conversation around WAM and Mars’ Hill, feel free to send us an email at marshill@gmail.com. TWUSA and Mars’ Hill will continue to converse on this topic in the next episode of our podcast, Voices from the Hill, planned to release on November 29th.

Trinity Western University

SHUTTLE Sunday Mornings | Fall & Spring Semesters 11:30am pick up | 1:30pm drop off Mattson Building Traffic Circle lwchurch.ca

“the GOAT” – Josh Klassen

ALEX’S ANNEX THE HIMNAL

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE CHAPTER 5

Kyle Hingtgen Year: Second

Age: 20

Height: 6’1’’

Hometown: Ogema, Saskatchewan

Major: Corporate Communications

Idea of a perfect date? On ﬁrst dates I like to take girls on a romantic night out to get BBQ ribs. It feels like the most biblical thing to do, considering that’s what they came from. Best place for a ﬁrst kiss? Preferably on the lips, but I won’t criticize if you miss. How long before you propose? If creation took six days, then we can get married on the seventh.

You decide that the mountains look close enough to reach before nightfall, and should offer some shelter for the night. You set off towards them. As you pass by the white arrow on the grate, you can’t help but feel a little uneasy. Maybe you’re making the wrong choice.

How would you win their parents over? Just be myself. If they have a problem, I can pray for them.

After an hour or so of walking, the terrain around you starts to change. Foothills rise from the dunes, breaking free of the hot sand and shifting into black earth. As you crest the ﬁrst hill, the sun ﬁnally fully dips below the horizon. It’s suddenly pitch black. You can’t even see the crest of the mountain range anymore. You keep walking toward what you think is north.

Good age to get married? Next semester. Then we can transfer to Kwantlen and save enough money to rent a shoe box to live in.

As you begin down the other side of the hill, you suddenly ﬁnd yourself ﬂying through the air. You hit the ground with a thud and a clang. Ouch.

Skill that makes you “the one?” I can take photos that make you look good. How would you make up after your first fight? Forgive her 77 times. Denomination? Pentecostal. I am the Christian definition of turnt up. How do you know it’s love? If Jesus tells me so. What theme do you envision for the wedding? Rustic! Honestly, I already have a Pinterest board made for the occasion. What is your favourite flower? Rose. Why? Because you add one little line and it becomes rosé. How many kids do you want? Well, Gideon had 70 sons of his own, so that seems doable. What skill will you pass on to your future children? Creativity. Top quality in a future mate? Someone who can deal with her significant other having a larger wardrobe than herself.

Wait...a clang? You search in the dirt with your hands until they close on a curved metal surface. Another service elevator. You get up and stand in the center of the circle. How do these things work? You jump once. Nothing happens. You can’t see a thing, not even your hand in front of your face. Nothing out there except those two red dots. Wait. Red dots? Oh. Eyes. Oh, no. Not again. You frantically feel around the edge of the grate. Nothing shifts or moves. Wait. There’s a smooth, square shape. A small box. You pull on it, and it pulls away. It was attached magnetically. It slides apart. Light springs from inside. “LIFETECH EMERGENCY SUPPLY KIT”. Well. Of course there’s one of these. Inside, there’s a flashlight, with batteries packaged separately, a first aid kit, and some glow sticks. A small metal square with a button – a remote? There’s also a gun. A revolver, with a bag of bullets, each as big as your thumb. What kind of thing was out there that needed this kind of firepower? You remember. You look up. The eyes are gone. You hear something moving behind you. DO YOU: 1. Press the button on the remote 2. Load the gun 3. Put the batteries in the flashlight Cast Your Vote by Nov. 29 at marshill.ca See what happens next ... in Issue 6, out Dec. 6/17!

“Unsubscribe from group chat.” – Trevor McMahan