Volume 23 Issue 6: Home

VOLUME 23 ISSUE 6

HOME

DECEMBER 5, 2018

CLOTHING, NOT CONSENT

SOLD OUT TO SODEXO

CAN THIS BE MY HOME NOW?

A protest against victim-blaming.

An investigation of the new contract between Sodexo and Trinity Western University.

“In here, the alcoholic is safe from addiction, the schizophrenic is safe from the voices, and the borderline is safe from herself.”

PG. 4

PG. 10-11

PG. 8

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Our Our Team Team

Sabine Henderson Managing Editor

Janae Gartly Visual Editor

FROM THE EDITOR

Kelsey Morris Academy Editor

Bailey Martens Web Editor

Manfred Dewsbury Layout Editor

Kennedy Dragt Arts + Culture Editor

Ishita Wilson News Editor

Bailey Broadbent Sports Editor

“Byelikov had a little bedroom like a box; his bed had curtains. When he went to bed he covered his head over; it was hot and stuffy; the wind battered on the closed doors; there was a droning noise in the stove and a sound of sighs from the kitchen—ominous sighs.”

— Anton Chekhov

We have a saying among expats: “you can take a person out of Russia, but you can never take Russia out of a person.”

For those of you who donʼt know a lot about me, I spent the first 17-anda-half years of my life in Russia. I am often asked “What was it like?

You know, growing up in the former Soviet Union?” I try painting a picture with words, one of kind memories, familiarity, and warmth. But those listening are rarely convinced that my home is a place worth being homesick over. Iʼm still not sure whether itʼs the stereotypes about Russia that get in the way, or whether my home is truly just a bizarre, dark, depressing place to those from other cultures.

The truth is, my recollections of home are the deepest, most comforting memories I own. They take me back to our old three-room apartment on the seventh floor—our column-like building overlooked the entire city of Chelyabinsk. On a good day, you could see the most beautiful sunset smothering the concrete jungle in the distance with flaming red.

On a day when the smog from the nearby metal plants filled the air, you could sit for hours gazing at the ominous silhouettes of those same buildings. The neighborhood we lived in resembled a post-apocalyptic scene, with snow turning grey from exhaust almost as soon as it touched the ground, and the local grocery store filled with salespeople that seemed to have lost all hope decades ago. The inside of our apartment felt like walking into a tiny haven—the yellow walls sparkled in the sun, the bedroom I shared with my two brothers was filled with books and stuffies, and our kitchen had so many plants you would think the space wasnʼt meant for cooking at all.

come to realize that that is not what home is supposed to be. Home for me is the one spot in this world I look forward to going to. Home is familiarity; home is where we have no fear of uncertainty, because life becomes a beautiful routine. I think that is why many of us yearn for home—we long for the expected surroundings, where there is no room for overthinking, just peace, because we are in default mode. I live ten months a year waiting for the two months a year when I get to come home, find my favourite couch, and sit on it for a very long time.

For some of us, home may not always be a comforting thought—many of us have gone through our share of struggles, and going home for the holidays may cause more feelings of anxiety than joy. And it is so important to recognize those who feel this way, and to understand that Christmas may not be the best time of the year for them.

For those who, like me, are too far away and canʼt afford to go home for Christmas.

For those who are not welcome at home.

For those who do not have a home.

For those from broken homes.

For those who arenʼt sure where home is.

For those who had to flee from home to escape danger.

For those who do not want a home, but prefer to wander.

For those who do go home but feel out of place, neglected, and alone.

For those of you struggling with thoughts about your home, I invite you to flip through these pages. You may just find out that home, for many of us, is not a permanent concept, and our writers tell stories of how they learned to find shelter, peace, and comfort somewhere new.

-Niki Mara

This cacophony of grey and yellow is what comes to mind when I think of home, and although not all my memories are ones of beauty, I have

Nyssa Morgan Humour Editor

Hannah DeVries Photo Editor

Richard Enns Advertising + Finance Manager

Sierra Ellis Illustrator

Emma Dykstra Staff Writer

Hazal Senkoyuncu Social Media Manager

Mars’ Hill Marsʼ Hill is a student publication of Trinity Western University, floated with funds raised by the Student Association. Marsʼ 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 Marsʼ 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 Marsʼ Hill encourages submissions and letters to the Editor. Marsʼ Hill reserves the right to edit submissions for style, brevity, and compatibility with the Mission, Statement of Faith, the Community Covenant, and the Core Values of the University.

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

Opinions expressed in Marsʼ 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: Makena Wardle Juliana Chalifour Rachel Burgis Chris Weiss Natalie Davidson Brett Fontaine Riley Voth Spencer Cushing Corinna Scholing Deryk Kirchner Becca Carsience Robbie Carlson Sammie Mahon Connor Theisson Alexa Methven Emmett Hanly Rose Henderson Kenzie Morgan Richard Enns Eric Rogers Chrisaleen Ciro Alex Walker

This Issue Brought to You By: Fricken Hell Chickens Pear sticks Silver & Gold (Sufjan Stevens) They did surgery on a pizza Spend money to steal money Mike Thomas is a duck a bunch of crazy twenty-year-olds

Media Advisor: Loranne Brown 7600 Glover Road Langley, British Columbia, Canada v2y1y1 marshill@gmail.com marshill.news

What do you want for Christmas this year?

Senior Editors:

Niki Mara

Editor-in-Chief

Sabine Henderson Managing Editor

Hannah Fletcher

Chief Copy Editor

Janae Gartly

Visual Editor

In Issue 5, in “The Central American Refugee Caravan” by Emilio Rodriguez, a section of the article read, “The crisis in Central America is mostly caused by gand violence, differences in political opinion, or ethnicity - not necessarily violence from the state or any of the other factors considered in the original definition.” The quote shoud have read “The crisis in Central America is mostly caused by gang violence-not necessarily violence from the state, or because of political opinion, ethnicity, or any of the other factors considered in the original definiton.

DE-CLASSIFIEDS So the Declassifieds are just a quote wall for the whole school?

I will gladly run to and fro my classes, judge as you must.

If you see someone you know on Tinder do you swipe right or left? sh*t have i submitted egg yet this issue please donʼt have finished declassifieds already sabine Egg Every time Frits reads the de-classified section he blushes.

Antonio Fernandez is better than sliced bread

marsʼ thrills stirring up the goof

Jared Gruenhage is Godʼs ideal man

Upsidedown Christmas made me cry, snaps to them ladies and their work.

Preview weekend is a glorious time as a first-year because you finally get to feel superior over someone.

I wonder how many people think “but Iʼm ACTUALLY Jonahʼs friend” I know Scott Van Vilet wonʼt see this, but uraqt ;) to bean or not to bean Currently caught between wanting to submit edgy memes to the TWU meme page and not wanting to lose friends and/or my student leadership position.

Frits you are one exotic man…

@officialtwu_memepage been lacking the last few days. Better pick it up before I follow marsʼ thrills

You can have an anonymous chat with Sabine if you start your declassified with /:chatmode:/

Iʼm so thankful I live on a campus where I can accidentally leave my keys in a classroom building and then find them exactly where I left them 5 days later.

Briana Gabriele: beauty

Where is Andrew Richmond?? how bored must you be to submit over TWENTY declassifieds??

Letʼs be honest, though. If there was actually a meth lab on campus, it wouldnʼt be in Skidmore. It would be in Douglas.

Want more Canadian news in the paper? Write more Canadian news for the paper! Want more conservative views represented in the paper? Write about your views for the paper! :) the meme page is like the drunk uncle at family party My alarm goes off. I open my eyes.

Take a deep breath and thank God I too, am a Spartan.

Submit your declassifieds at: www.marshill.news/ declassifieds

pure

European

Next time you are being serenaded

by Douglas North Up, please record it.

Do the Shevangelists/Hymnals actually work? Asking for a friend yena youre so cute whoever who shares mailbox with 3 emmas, please also pick up your mail. what happened to @overheardtwu ?

For a cannabis-free campus we sure do have a lot of POTholes. the fact that Amaris Henry is single kinda makes me lose faith in mankind. get ur act together boys Marsʼ Hill is that kid in class who raises his(or her, I never assume) hand to argue with the prof

“Make Trinity great again” -sodexo “It smells like fear in here” -TWU Maintenance guys Rip Sabineʼs IDIS 400 grade. okay, but why is there a taxidermied cow in the gym?

I think less well of people when I see them wearing blunds donʼt respond to the bi-weekly poll unless youʼre bisexual wierdest part of preview weekend is seeing the desperate thirst years go for grade 11 students marsʼ hill and [spaces] should probably collab bc mars is in SPACE whaaaaaat New low. Ran out of toilet paper so I just showered instead of getting more.

Maddie Kirstein and Anna MOMhof are actual commuter goddesses.

Thank you on behalf of all us commuters who donʼt have rich parents. we love being commuter because of you. if you see these people hug them..

CARSON LOEPPKY IS A TALL DRINK OF WATER. (I couldnʼt get you in the himnal so this is your best shot) to further appreciate the maintenance guys, take note they came to fix my bed and together harmoniously sang “A Whole New World” Health Tip: get shleep, get shmoney

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Top 5 hottest things in the universe: 5. Active volcano 4. Fire 3. My love for Antonio Fernandez 2. The sun 1. Antonio Fernandez my thoughts in class: so a snake is just a dangerous noodle … angry noodle.. noodle with misunderstood emotions .. NOODES EITH TOODS the only thing that “ the overheard a TWU taught me “ is how to be a snoop gal hey so if you wanted to know how my week went: I in a depressed state put “ why the honky tonk do you effing hate me” in my final paper and SENT IT IN. so if anyone wants to help me steal my professors laptop I would be thankful if I had a taco for every time I cried this week .. I could solve world hunger hey hunny one blundstoned wearing boy is not worth your tears, get over him queen bipidy bodity women are property dear jesse elser, we share mailbox, please pick up your mails and also me.

Thanks They did surgery on a grape Honk Instead of HIIT, itʼs LIIT for Low Intensity Interval Training Do girls walk around shirtless after dorm hours in the same way guys do?

Jacobson is like the new kid that comes to high school and is 20, drives a motorcycle and doesnʼt have time for childish things

Marsʼ 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 Marsʼ Hill staff, the student association, or that of the University. In fact, probably not.

CONTRIBUTOR OF THE ISSUE

What is your name?

Makena Wardle What is your major?

Iʼm an English major with a minor in Media + Communications: Professional Writing.

Where are you from?

Abbotsford, British Columbia What is something you believe in, something you’re passionate about and want to share with the world?

Iʼm so in love with language and culture. If I could encourage everyone to do one thing, it would be to learn a new language and experience a new culture. When you visit a new place or spend time with someone who has grown up differently than you have, you gain a portal into a whole new people group. It helps you to see people for who they are and not label them as wrong or weird just because the way they behave isnʼt what youʼre used to. I think this is one of the ways that Jesus loved.

What is your favourite book and why?

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Itʼs both eye opening and heartwarming. Atticus Finch is also one of the most well-written main characters ever, in my opinion.

“Not Rees Morganʼs mustache <3” –Janae Gartly

What is your favourite article you’ve written for Mars’ Hill and why is it important?

I would have to say my article on Patagonia. I was able to talk about a company I love and be kinder to the environment at the same time. I also think it is important that people know where their money is going.

Why do you write for Mars’ Hill?

Writing is what I love to do, and Marsʼ Hill provides me with such a unique platform. Being able to get feedback from other students is such a valuable experience. Also, Kelsey Morris is the absolute best, and thatʼs probably the main reason.

What is your favourite body part?

My left ear. It has let me poke a bunch of holes in it.

This could be you! Each issue, we will feature a contributor here that has submitted consistent, relevant, and thoughtful content. Send your submissions to marshill@gmail.com!

4

news

Clothing, Not Consent

Ishita Wilson

A protest against victim-blaming

Ishita Wilson

In early November at a trial by jury in Cork, Ireland, a 27-year-old man was acquitted of his alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl. Although this may have been one of many sexual assault cases to pass through a courtroom, it was one that triggered international outrage.

To protest such victim-blaming, the Rosa Socialist Feminist Movement held a protest in Cork on Wednesday, November 14. Approximately 400 people rallied and #ThisisNotConsent began to trend on social media, allowing the rape trial and the protests following the trial to gain global attention.

During the trial, the assailantʼs lawyer held up the teenagerʼs lace thong as evidence of consent. In her closing argument, defense lawyer Elizabeth OʼConnell asked the jury to consider this choice of underwear and

Mary Crilly, Director of the Cork Sexual Violence Center, spoke at the protest and explained that the issue does not reside with the defense lawyer who made such arguments; instead, the issue is deeply ingrained into a system that allows victim-blaming. “Itʼs never her [the victimʼs] fault,” Crilly says. “Weʼre allowing the perpetrators to get away.”

Clothes, fake tan, and even contraception have recently been used to discredit women who had the bravery to go to court. argued, “Does the evidence out-rule the possibility that she was attracted to the defendant and was open to meeting someone and being with someone?” She supported her argument by stating, “You have to look at the way she was dressed. She was wearing a thong with a lace front.”

The jury, which consisted of eight men and four women, delivered a unanimous not guilty verdict, according to The Irish Times.

This trial restarted the conversation about the 2002 case, in which 17-yearold Lindsay Armstrong took an overdose of antidepressants to end her life after being “humiliated and degraded” in court. She was asked to hold up the underwear she was wearing at the time of her alleged rape.

Enraged by the fact that a girlʼs choice of clothing was used as evidence against her during a rape trial, several women in power spoke out about the failure of the justice system in Ireland, and a large number of people took to the streets in protest. Teachta Dála (member of Irish Parliament) Ruth Coppinger pointed out that “clothes, fake tan, and even contraception have recently been used to discredit women who had the bravery to go to court.” During Leadersʼ Questions in the Dáil Chamber, Coppinger asserted that it is time to “end victim-blaming in sexual assault cases” as there is currently a lot of “victim-blaming going on in Irish courts.”

With help of this trial, many people have recognized and pointed out the misogyny and double standards for women that are prevalent in society today. Clíona Saidléar of the Rape Crisis Network Ireland stated that while culture places much pressure on women and girls “to be sexualized and to present sexually,” rape trials use such behaviour as evidence against these women and girls.

Victim-blaming exists not only in sexual assault cases but maintains a significant presence in other abuse cases as well. Additionally, it extends past the legal sphere and remains relevant in different social circles. Professor Monica McWilliams, an academic, former politician, and one of the founders of the Womenʼs Coalition in Northern Ireland, revealed that in the past, some Catholic clergy have given domestic violence victims the impression that “they were the authors of their own misfortune,” according to The Irish Times.

A member of the Free Presbyterian Church also told Professor McWilliams that domestic abuse legislations should only apply to married couples, not couples who are living together outside of marriage. Due to this kind of treatment, the number of people who experience sexual assault and suffer from abuse is actually much larger than the number of people who come forward and press charges.

According to a study conducted by the Rape Crisis Network, only about 10% of rapes in Ireland get reported and only one in 40 alleged rapists face the consequences of their actions. Furthermore, a Criminal Justice Inspection reported on November 13, 2018 by Vincent Kearney, a BBC News Northern Ireland Affairs Correspondent, disclosed that in 2016, the police recorded more than 3,150 sexual violence and abuse offenses. Specifically, of the 823 rape offences recorded, only 15 of the defendants were convicted. This conviction rate of 1.8% in Ireland is lower than any other parts of the United Kingdom.

In light of the results of this Inspection report, Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice Brendan McGuigan stated, “This report concludes that the criminal justice processes in Northern Ireland for handling these cases take too long, are too expensive, and conclude with, all too often, a failure to deliver an acceptable outcome for victims.”

Through the protests and all the social media coverage, people hope to bring awareness to the fact that the justice system today is not yet fully equipped to protect the rights of women.

“My two front teeth” –Juliana Chalifour

5

The Stoned Age Legalization of recreational marijuana

Makena Wardle

The legalization of recreational marijuana is one of our worldʼs most prominent governmental debates. When Uruguay became the first country to legalize recreational marijuana in 2013, other nations started to follow suit. With this being such a prevalent topic, it is important to look at ways in which this decision affected places that have already taken action and how it could begin to affect Canada.

Uruguay was the first country that legalized the recreational use of cannabis. Though the legalization came with many restrictions, it was still a large leap in comparison to the rest of the world. After it became legal, citizens could obtain 40 grams per month once registered with a smoking club, and cultivators could grow up to six plants in their homes. In 2017, it became fully legal and can now be sold straight to consumers through certain government approved pharmacies.

Since the countryʼs full commercial legalization in 2017, its crime rate has dropped a remarkable 20%. The government, however, is working to find a way to prevent selling to tourists, since this remains illegal. Black market dealing is still an ongoing issue in Uruguay.

Though it is still illegal on a federal level in the United States, Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana use. Since then, other states like Michigan and California have followed suit. Unlike Uruguay, the dealing of illegal cannabis is growing in Colorado. The state has also experienced an increase in DUIs. There is a possibility, however, for the industry to provide over 150,000 jobs; this job creation is one of the reasons that the debate on the impact of legalization is still significant.

Many people think that the Netherlands was the first country to legalize cannabis. This is a common misconception due to its infamous “coffee-shops” which permit citizens to smoke marijuana in social spaces. Cannabis is not legal in the Netherlands, but is tolerated by police when sold in coffee-shops. Contrary to the rest of the world, the country is actually growing less pot-friendly, and is continually placing more restrictions to their previously laid-back policies. According to Daniel Boffey from the The Guardian, The Hague, a city in the Netherlands, has recently banned smoking in many public places. The government has also banned citizens from selling to tourists in areas near the border. In addition to limitations on personal use and selling to foreigners, there are also restrictions on the amount that can be sold, smoking in many public areas, and more. Can

these added restrictions hint that the country most famed for its use of cannabis is going to shift its stance entirely?

The country to most recently legalise marijuana is Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fulfilled his campaign promise and successfully helped pass a law that legalised the recreational use of cannabis in June 2018. Cannabis became legal to use on October 17, 2018. Like other places, there are many restrictions on the recreational distribution and consumption of marijuana. Those above the age of 18 can legally possess up to 30 grams in public, and each house can grow up to four cannabis plants.

One immediate effect on Canadians is that the United States can now deny border crossing to those connected to the cannabis industry, even in states that have legalized it. Not only that, some Canadians have been denied access to the USA for nothing more than admitting to past usage of the drug.

Though not enough time has passed yet to analyse the long-term effects of Canadaʼs cannabis legalization, Trudeau expects positive outcomes. On June 19, shortly after the legalization passed the senate, Trudeau tweeted the following: “Itʼs been too easy for our kids to get marijuana—and for criminals to reap the profits. Today, we change that. Our plan to legalize & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate.” From this tweet, we can draw that Trudeau expects legalizing cannabis to reduce under-age usage of the substance. Though this would be a major positive, it is unclear so far if this is a realistic expectation.

By analyzing the long-term effects that legalization of recreational cannabis has had on other places, we can attempt to gain an understanding of how it will affect Canada in the future. It is difficult, however, to come to a conclusion due to the varying outcomes we see across different countries.

All we can do is hope that we will see only positive results within our home and native land.

“12 hours of sleep” –Hazal Senkoyuncu

6

A Social Commentary Through

Memes

Inside scoop on the TWU Meme Page

Natalie Davidson

On September 22, 2018, Trinity Western University (TWU) students had their eyes glued to their phones and smiles spread across their faces. The recipient of this attention was the first Instagram post of the Official TWU Meme Page (@officialtwu_memepage). This marked the start of student interaction with a new and up-to-date source of relatable, stereotypical, and hilarious memes.

The creator of the page wishes to remain anonymous to the general public.

“I donʼt want people to think Iʼm in it for popularity,” the creator says, “or with a hidden agenda.”

Controversial issues donʼt exist because Iʼm posting them. They exist, so I post them.

In an interview, the creator of the page shared the background, reasoning, and vision behind the Instagram account. The creatorʼs intention is to prioritize freedom of speech and to discuss issues that students experience at TWU through light-hearted humour. Through creative content that balances controversial realities with comedic relief, Official TWU Meme Page has become a popular source for students to stay connected to the community.

The decision to create the meme page was spontaneous, and the purpose of the page was unclear at first, even to the creator. Fast forward two months, and “now Iʼm using it as a platform to sort of point out social norms, critiques, and commentary on things about Trinity that I think are dumb, critical, or all-around stupid.”

Just two days after the birth of the Official TWU Meme Page, the creator posted a meme about sexual intercourse. This post started the debate on whether or not such controversial content should be posted on a page whose name directly links it to TWU. There was a wide range of comments on this post and others similar to it. Some viewers affirmed the account by saying things like, “DUDE THIS IS LIT.” On the other end of the spectrum,

some commented, “this page should not be associated to TWU with content such as this” or “this is way too edgy.”

Openly talking about the idea of “edginess” with the meme creator gave further insight into the reasoning for bringing up such controversial issues.

Overall, this individual argued that “just because the content is too edgy for you doesnʼt mean it isnʼt true. The page wouldnʼt be nearly as popular if it wasnʼt agreeable.”

Addressing issues on the TWU campus seems to be the main goal of this account. The meme creator said that the most important thing about this page is its ability to reach a large audience. “If it was in the student handbook that I couldnʼt talk about these things,” he said, “then I would be going to a different school. Freedom of speech is extremely important.”

Other controversial memes cover topics such as relationships, dorm life, student leadership positions, the community covenant, and stereotypes.

In other words, he says, “things that everybody is thinking but nobody does anything about.” When considering these issues, “They donʼt exist because Iʼm posting them,” he says. “They exist, so I post them.”

Speaking specifically to the commenters who have been concerned about this page breaking TWU rules, the creator acknowledges that the Student Handbook is often useful for facilitating community for those on campus, and he does not believe anything he has done violates the guidelines outlined in the handbook. The phrase, “This page is strictly community run and not endorsed by TWU admin,” was added to the Official TWU Meme Page biography. This was done as an effort to find common ground between the meme page creator, angry commenters, and TWU administration.

This newly TWU-famous social media account continues to gain popularity every day. Since its birth, the creator generated 150 memes and the account had 1,392 followers as of November 30. The page has been a conversation starter for many aspects of campus life, and talking about issues is the first step to fixing them.

Be Underqualified The road to future success

Rachel Burgis

You know whatʼs scarier than being an adult? Being surrounded by overqualified adults—the kind of people who have 30 years of experience as a Supreme Court Judge or who raise $100,000 in donations as a new hire.

The kind of people who meet with foreign dignitaries and are involved with NAFTA. People at the forefront of change are intimidating because their actions change lives.

When these are the kind of people you encounter everyday, it is easy to feel intimidated. But that is how the professional world is. As university students, we may feel underqualified, but the only way to learn is to dive in. That is what internships are for. They provide the opportunity to work in your field, network with professionals, and have a free pass to mess up. That is why the Laurentian Leadership Centre (LLC)—a TWU internship program in Ottawa—is a phenomenal opportunity to gain professional experience. Dr. Janet Epp-Buckingham, the head of this program, secures internships in hard-to-access professions such as politics (MP and minister offices), refugee services, journalism, research, and others.

I am a student at the LLC and I intern at a refugee claimant settlement NGO called Matthew House Ottawa (MHO). After arriving in Canada, refugee claimants often are scared, unsure of their status, and unable to find shelter. In a single day, I receive up to four calls from claimants seeking a safe place to sleep. Other times, we have to turn people away.

Watching my supervisor, I am amazed at his steadfastness and passion to respond to these situations and advocate change. He regularly meets with shelters and other NGOs to discuss housing solutions and improve refugee programming.

It is intimidating to work with such incredible people. Do I feel inadequate at work? Yes, but at the same time I love it. Because the only way to become an overqualified adult is to show up in all your underqualified glory. The LLC is an opportunity to do just that. So is this a plug for the LLC? Unashamedly, yes. If you want to work in your field, come. The LLC is for aspiring professionals, and if you want to become one, then this the opportunity to show up.

“A conservative issue of MH” –Kelsey Morris

academy

7

Kelsey Morris

From Bitsy Bookstore to Colossal Corporation How Amazon is taking over the world

Emma Dykstra

What started out as a humble bookstore is now the largest internet retailer in the world. Amazon is the third most valuable company in the United States, exceeded only by technology giants Apple and Microsoft. When the company was founded as an online book retailer in 1994, its main competitors were Barnes & Noble and smaller bookstores. But in 1998, it expanded its market beyond just books, and 20 years later, it has become the birthplace of 50 percent of online shopping searches—eBay boasts the next highest number, coming in at just under 7 percent.

Amazon is the very definition of the American dream: starting out as the little guy at the bottom and working up into a life of wealth. Amazon is a far bigger company than most people think—and it is growing bigger and advancing faster by the day.

So how did Amazon become so wildly successful? People often point to founder Jeff Bezosʼ first shareholder letter from 1997, which emphasized that it is “all about the long term.” Using this mentality as its guide, Amazon focuses more on long-term profits rather than short-term ones, placing the bulk of its attention on how big it can grow as fast as possible. In the words of YouTuber Polymatter, “it could stop and make a dollar, but it would rather keep going and make five.”

A monopoly occurs when a company gets so big that it dominates other companies to the point of controlling markets, fixing prices, and crushing its competition. Recently, it has been speculated that Amazon is becoming just that. It essentially gets so big that it does not have to follow the rules anymore since it is the only player. When competition is limited, companies have little motivation to do better in their business. That is why monopolies can be a problem.

Amazonʼs power comes mostly from its aggression. One of Amazonʼs business tactics is known as “predatory pricing,” a practice precisely as ruthless as it sounds. When a company sells its goods and services at prices as low as Amazon does, other companies cannot compete and are forced to either leave the market or sell to the predator corporation.

In 2010, Amazon directed this practice at Diapers.com, a competitor who refused Amazonʼs buyout offers just a year earlier. When the owners did not want to sell, Amazon responded by offering three free months of Amazon Prime to parents and reducing the prices on baby products by so much that it was actually losing millions of dollars. But lo and behold, a few months later, Diapers.com was sold to none other than its predator, Amazon. Today, if you use the URL “www.diapers.com,” youʼll be redirected to Amazon.

ple principle known as consumer welfare: if a company can maintain it, they can keep going. Amazon will always be willing to keep prices low in order to keep customers satisfied, a reality that keeps people shopping with them, and in turn, helps them gain market share.

Furthermore, Amazonʼs retail industry is not the only place where their profit lies. Amazonʼs hidden profit is found in Amazon Web Services (AWS), a cybersecurity and cloud computing platform to be used by individuals, companies, and governments to store, manage, and process data.

It may seem unimportant, but in 2017 alone, it made 17.5 billion dollars.

Adobe Systems, Canon, Capital One, Kellogg Company, Netflix, Buzzfeed, Samsung, Scholastic, Slack, Spotify, Yelp, Pinterest, Tinder, Disney, and Expedia are the names of just a few of the major corporations that use AWS. Not only do companies and businesses use AWS, but the American government does as well. The State Department, NASA, and the CIA all have or are currently using AWS. Amazon had 51% of IaaS Public Cloud Services Market Share in 2017 (IaaS being Infrastructure as a Service), while Google only had 3.3%.

As long as customers are satisfied, companies like Amazon can do as they please.

Not only is Amazon dominating the retail industry, but it also seems to have a fair amount of control over the internet sector as a whole. This expansion is even more evidence for the possibility of them becoming a monopoly.

The possibility of monopolies getting out of control has always been a fear of the people and the government. The United States came up with a solution to keeping monopolies under control back in the 1890s. This solution is known as antitrust laws, which served the purpose of keeping monopolies from expanding beyond reason. These laws broke up big companies like the railroads and Standard Oil to keep them smaller and give the government more control in order to regulate the companies.

However, antitrust laws can be difficult to apply to technology companies given that they have such diverse and solidified control. Since the law was created in 1890, it is extremely difficult to apply them to the advanced technology companies we see today. Just a few weeks ago, Amazon announced two new locations for their second and third headquarters: New York City, New York and Arlington, Virginia. Amazon is clearly still growing and shows no sign of slowing down.

Amazon also increases its control by simply monitoring the market. Since the majority of online consumers shop on Amazon, small businesses are forced to sell their products there.

As a result, Amazon gets to monitor sales of these small and independent businesses. Once Amazon witnesses which products from these businesses get the best sales, it buys the products from the business, sell them at a cheaper price, and takes the business completely out of the picture in the process.

So how is this even allowed to happen?

Well, to be honest, it is because of you. You are happy with the cheap prices, with the products you get, how fast you get them, and the great customer service you receive in the process. As long as customers are satisfied, companies like Amazon can do as they please. This is a sim-

If you are anything like the average shopper, Amazon is just a place for you to go to get something relatively cheap or to find something exciting that you could not get anywhere else.

Amazon is handy, and you probably are not too worried about it getting any bigger. After all, the bigger it gets, the more products it will offer and the cheaper it will get. But in reality, Amazon is driving small businesses out of the market and expanding at unprecedented rates. That bitsy bookstore might just be getting too big for its britches.

“Not Blundstones” –Leah Goertz

8

Can This Be My Home Now?

Kelsey Morris

Psychiatric ward. Mental health unit. Mental hospital.

Whatever you call it, it means the same thing: theyʼre afraid that youʼre dangerous.

“Involuntarily admitted,” they say. “You canʼt go home tonight, sweetheart.” Youʼve been made a prisoner. You spend 48 hours in a small metal box—they let you out so you can go to the bathroom. You have no freedom. No phones. No strings on your hoodies.

You didnʼt feel that crazy when you got here, but you definitely feel crazy now.

And then itʼs morning. You guess the pills worked. Breakfast comes at 8 a.m., and then the doctor wants to see you. The first thing he wants to know is, “do you have any thoughts of harming yourself today?”

But you donʼt know what to say, because itʼs too early, and you donʼt even know the person asking you, and you donʼt feel so sick when youʼre in here, and there are people around to talk to so itʼs not really as bad and—hold on.

You realize itʼs safe in here. This is a bubble. Bubbles are safe. The outside world canʼt touch you here.

So you beg.

After 48 hours in a box, 48 hours of uncertainty, you are finally transferred to a long-term unit. You walk into a new place full of new people, and the questions begin, but they donʼt ask you about your story or your diagnosis.

“No, please donʼt send me home.” You donʼt want to hurt yourself, and you feel okay, but what will home bring?

In here, you donʼt feel so crazy. Everyone understands how it feels, and for the first time, you meet other people like you.

Instead, they ask you, “Where? How long?” They want to know which box you came from and how long they kept you there.

Was the doctor mean? Yes, most of them are. Could you leave the room? Maybe, some of you could. Were you allowed to shower? No, most of you were not. You can shower in your new home, but thereʼs no shower curtain. There are no locks. Your bathroom door has a window.

They donʼt trust you. No one trusts you. You donʼt trust yourself, you canʼt trust yourself; thatʼs why you are here, remember?

They give you little pills to help you sleep because they never turn the lights off. Or because your roommate snores. Or because you canʼt stop thinking about all of the things that brought you here.

Riley Voth

In here, the alcoholic is safe from addiction, the schizophrenic is safe from the voices, and the borderline is safe from herself. But out there—the world, the illness—they will try to kill you again.

Maybe they will succeed this time. You hope that they wonʼt. You are supposed to believe that they wonʼt. So you hope against all hope, and you do your best to believe them when they say the treatment will work. You bite your tongue when they tell you “it gets better.”

You listen, and you learn, and you go home. Then you try—really hard.

And you live.

Every day, you live. And every day, itʼs just about the bravest thing youʼve ever done.

Footnotes

Whatʼs your name? Whereʼs home?

These are two of the most common questions asked when meeting someone; one of these questions is easy to answer, but one is not. Iʼve wondered my whole life what it would be like to answer the question of home without footnotes. Home is Bermuda, (1) home is Raleigh, (2) home is Langley. (3) I, along with many others, cannot find a simple answer to the question of home, and it leaves a part of my identity in limbo.

What do we do when the second most important identity question cannot be answered? What do we do when there are too many answers to decide on just one, when all those answers footnote each other in an arduous spiral?

1 But not since August 1st, 2013.

2 Parents? Yes! Visa? No! 3 Where I feel I belong but have no house.

4 Thanks Mom. 5 Thanks Robert Frost.

6 Not that physical space is insignificant, the spaces we inhabit hold power.

7 City, house, country, job, etc.

8 Thanks Maslow.

I pour myself into music and into my friends and family: all are things that are not rooted in physical space. (7) People and music both move. Most people find their home in a physical place, but I find myself in a population of people who donʼt think they ever will, a group who avoids talking about home because itʼs awkward. The most at home I have ever felt is travelling from city to city every day playing music with people that I love. When Iʼm living in an environment that gives a platform for my art and that allows me to live with and love people constantly, I am home.

I am not alone in this. There are many who are migrant, local to a globalized community, feeling at home not in space, but in action and existence, taking peace and rest from the lived experience of being self-actualized (8) rather than from a physical place.

Defining home is easier when you have one.

Many say, “home is where I go to be with family” (4) or “home is where you always have a place to stay.” (5) When the answers to these questions fall short, there are secondary qualifiers. Home is where you were born, where you spent the most time, where you have the greatest depth of culture, or where you have citizenship.

This life often crumbles to exhaustion, as any life eventually does, but where do we “homeless” people go when we burn out? Being homeless in my home often makes me feel distant, disjointed, and displaced.

These descriptions get close, but they actually point to another definition altogether. Perhaps a more encompassing way to see home is to look at the places you put your roots. This understanding allows the concept of home to transcend physical space, (6) focusing on what we pour ourselves into, take life from, and invest in.

This is where those who find home in physical places can become heroes. I have been blessed beyond measure by those who have given so much to me and have empowered me to be at home in my own way. The greatest kindness I have experienced is by those who open their doors to me and say “make yourself at home.”

“For the Bookstore coffee shop to be open past 6pm” –Emma Dykstra

9

One More Glance

Nicole Mara

He walked into the coffee shop where I worked, more than a year after I had last seen him. It took me two or three stares before I recognized him— he seemed to have changed so much, and yet, it was still a familiar face.

My body started to shake and my vision blurred as the fear I hadnʼt felt since we were together knocked me out like a tidal wave. I hid in the back room, only to feel the immediate urge to go back out into the dining area to take a glimpse at him. Once out, I could not control myself. I could not look away. What was a mere scarring memory minutes ago became flesh and bone, standing a few feet away from me, with a different girl.

The trauma and abuse I suffered at his hands would have led any rational person to look away, to hide, to want him gone. And yet, I wanted him to stay. I wanted him to look at me, to give me his quirky, dimply, deceitful smile. I drowned out the sounds of my surroundings just so I could hear his voice—so calm, and yet a little bit nervous.

When he got up to leave, I followed just a few feet behind him. As he walked off into the distance with his date, I clung to a nearby pillar, one foot dangling off the patio, watching closely until he was out of sight. There was a time when he would stand in front of the door, not letting me leave his house. Now, I was the one who did not want him to leave. If I could stand in his way and have him stay in my presence for just a little longer, I would.

The pain I experienced in our relationship was immeasurable. On a good day, I would spend hours listening to him shame me for having male friends.

On a bad day, he would fake suicide by overdose to get my attention.

When our relationship reached its heights, during dates and when he brought me gifts, my heart leapt with joy as I was convinced that I was finally changing him and he was finally accepting me for who I was. When we spent nights together, I felt loved—except for the times when I didnʼt. The nights when his physical strength overcame me, the nights when my judgment was too impaired to consent, remind me of the manipulation I gave into.

And yet, I miss him. I miss the hormonal and emotional rollercoaster he sent me on. The sudden shifts in his behaviour, although terrifying, were like a drug—his rare and dubious acts of love felt like heaven. I blamed our conflicts on myself and saw him as a damaged soul I had a duty to save. It took saving him from a suicide attempt for me to realize that it was not love I had for him—it was trauma bonding.

A phenomenon all too common in relationships between a victim and their abuser, trauma bonding occurs when the victim becomes dependent on the potent combination of abuse and affection that the relationship provides. Trauma bonding erases all boundaries between care and destruction, between love and obsession, between pleasure and pain—what is left is a strong reliance on another person, regardless of how they treat the other.

I was a victim of trauma bonding for too long. I clung to him until it was too late. My scars, although slowly closing, may never fully heal, and I experience the pain of our relationship every waking hour. And yet, I want to see him again. Just one more glance.

Patagonia Makena Wardle

In the late 1960s, a Californian rock climber named Yvon Chouinard grew tired of the colourless athletic clothing so often sported by men. In response, he decided to develop his rock climbing gear company—called Chouinard Equipment—into a clothing distributor. And thus, in 1973, Patagonia was born. Since then, it has become one of the top outdoor brands, earning an estimated revenue of $209.1 million in 2017.

Patagonia goes beyond taking ownership of its products, working to use and run facilities with a low negative impact on the earth. Basing a good portion of its value as a company on its ability to reduce environmental footprint, Patagoniaʼs stores and factories are continually being upgraded to integrate more environmentally-friendly systems such as solar energy and LED lighting.

While wandering the campus here at Trinity Western University, you will quickly realize that the Patagonia logo is hard to miss. From the infamous fleeces that seem to be a student clothing staple, to the stickers plastered on water bottles and laptops, many people seem to have taken a liking to this brand.

Patagonia donates 1% of the companyʼs net revenue to environmental causes each year, amounting to $89 million since the start of the program in 1985. On Black Friday in 2016, the company donated 100% of profits—a total of 10 million dollars—both online and in-store, to grassroots environmental organizations. Patagonia tends to donate to groups that work within their local communities to reduce environmental harm and counter climate change. One organization they have partnered with in the past is Breathe Utah, working to improve air quality and reduce pollution in its home state. These statistics show us that Patagonia puts its money where its mouth is—and it is the companyʼs wild success that allows it to do so.

University campuses are hot spots for brands that appear to be all about “hype” and reputation. With so many trends roaring among students, it can be hard to discern what is really worth precious time, money, and attention. But this company stands for so much more than quality athletic wear, and as a result, students are deciding that Patagonia is deserving of its reputation.

“I started to buy from them because they had a really cool logo,” says TWU student Grace Giesbrecht, when asked to reflect on her infatuation with the brand. “But then I went on its Instagram and was looking at all the political and environmental opinions that were supported by the brand, and that made me like them even more.”

More than just a successful business, Patagonia is the leading clothing company in the fight for Fair Trade. In fact, its website states that Patagonia has “more trade certified styles than any other apparel brand.” When you see a Fair Trade Certified label added to a piece of Patagonia clothing, you can be sure that a portion of the money made from the product will directly benefit those who crafted it. The purpose of Fair Trade is to work towards fair wages, health, and safety of factory workers, and hopefully better lives as a result.

The outdoor apparel brand is also very conscious of its environmental impact. With Patagoniaʼs Worn Wear program, the company will repair gear if it starts to wear down over time. Even further, once the product is beyond repair, Patagonia will gladly take it back and recycle the item into something new.

The companyʼs CEO Rose Marcario recently announced that, due to the recent tax code passed in the United States which lowers the amount they need to pay in federal taxes, Patagonia has saved $10 million in the past year. Marcario is open about her opposition to the tax code, explaining that by lowering taxes it takes money away from “public lands and other life-giving resources.” Macario revealed that “instead of putting the money back into our business, weʼre responding by putting 10 million back into the planet. Our home planet needs it more than we do.”

Patagonia continually fights for the causes that echoes its corporate values.

From pushing for the removal of environmentally harmful dams to advocating for the protection of landmarks across the United States, this company is not afraid to take on large issues.

Whether you already sport a Patagonia jacket on every rainy day of the year or this is your first time hearing of the company, it is easy to see that their work is admirable. So go ahead—purchase that down vest that has been sitting in your online shopping cart for the past year. You will be doing so with the knowledge that you are supporting a company that protects the world it equips you to explore.

“Tuition money for the last year and a half” –Marjorie Persons

Sold Out to Sodexo An investigation of the new contract between Sodexo and Trinity Western University

Niki Mara & Sabine Henderson With Facilities staff interviews from Hazal Senkoyuncu While known by students of Trinity Western University primarily for its food services, Sodexo has taken on a new role on campus this year. As of July 2018, Sodexo signed a contract with TWU to take over the management of the Custodial and Maintenance Department, and Jeff Courtney was hired as the Director of Facilities—the first Sodexo manager of the department. According to Aklilu Mulat, Senior Vice President of Business Administration at TWU, Courtney will be receiving further management support in June 2019, as Sodexo gains more control of the facilities. TWU will still continue to be the official employer of the Custodial and Maintenance staff, but is essentially delegating more responsibility to Sodexo.

and dropped the bomb indicating that we were contracted out to Sodexo,” one employee stated in an interview, “after which we felt a heavy silence.”

Another employee indicates that this lack of communication with staff early on, before the contract was signed, “[broke their] trust in Trinityʼs administration.” Having been left in the dark during the initial decision-making process, many staff members remain uncertain regarding to what degree they Sodexo is currently the 19th largest employer can trust the promises that TWU and Sodexo have worldwide, according to their press release about made regarding the future of the department and the 2018 Fiscal year, with 427,000 employees in the details of their employment.

80 countries and $20.7 billion in consolidated revenues, and according to Bloomberg.com, CEO The changes within the department and its manDenis Machuel received over $2.7 million in total agement will not come fully into effect until June calculated compensation this year. While Sodexo 2019. According to Aklika Mulat, the Facilities was named Corporation of the Year by WECon- Department will be entirely directed by Sodexo, nect International in Canada in 2018, in part be- which will provide a more professional standard cause of its inclusion of women-owned business, it of management. Both the management team and has been involved in its fair share of controversy company software will come from Sodexo, and, in past years, including everything from workplace according to Mulat, will improve efficiency and safety violations noted by New York Sodexo em- keep grounds maintenance up to specific company ployees to a horsemeat scandal in the UK in 2013. standards. It is unclear from this interview whether the contract will provide financial benefit for either With Sodexoʼs background and its status as a mass party. corporation focused on profit rather than fostering (Christian) community, why is TWU choosing to In this current period of transition, changes are hand over the management of the Custodial and gradually being implemented higher up in the deMaintenance Department to this company? How partment as well as on campus, and many Facilities will it affect this campus and its Facilities staff? employees are uncertain of what the true impact of this shift will be. Based on interviews conducted It was not until this past July, not long after the con- among a few staff members working in the Custotract was already signed, that the Custodial and dial and Maintenance Department, there seems to Maintenance staff were informed of the decision. be a shared concern among them regarding their “It was Bob Nice who showed up one morning employment. Many are still unsure whether, under during our break the new contract, they will be working for Sodexo or TWU. Mulat confirmed that their employment status will not change, and although their managers will be Sodexo representatives, theFacilities staff will continue to be employed by TWU.

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This concern, it seems, was mainly linked to the fact

that TWU employment comes with specific benefits for the staff, such as Torch scholarships, good employment benefits, and designated time for weekly staff devotions and prayer. Those we spoke with indicated that they value highly their time with the Lord as a community, and worry that with new nonfaith-based management stepping in, they would not be able to continue their meetings—an important part of their work at TWU. In the words of one of the staff, “Being part of this community is huge for me, I feel that I belong here. Itʼs like a second family.” According to Mulat, the Facilities staffʼs employment under TWU will protect all their existing benefits, scholarships, and community events.

He stated clearly that TWU “wants to protect their culture,” affirming that the benefits the Facilities staff have been receiving for years are important to their TWU employers, and Mulat confirmed that they do not plan on changing any of those factors.

with Sodexo next June, according to BC employment laws, they are essentially quitting the job. A majority of the interviewed employees are unsure whether or not they will be opting to sign the new contract, and thus whether they will continue working at TWU once the company officially takes over.

However, those who are choosing to stay primarily based their decision on the fact that someone othThe Facilities staff also raised a concern that since er than themselves depends on their income—they TWU decided to erect two new buildings, Skidmore have no choice but to keep their jobs. and Jacobson Hall, custodial and maintenance work has become more of a challenge—one that With Sodexo taking over, their close-knit TWU Sodexo will need to address. According to one of staff community will be working under a multi-milthe employees, they “have more buildings to take lion dollar corporation that has one main interest: care of, but little to no new manpower to do the profit. While Mulat indicates that not much will be job.” Mulat mentioned that the Custodial Depart- changing in the particulars such as staff benefits ment has been told that they can hire two new full- and devotionals, a shift from university to corpotime staff members. The question is whether the rate oversight will naturally lead to a shift in frametwo new people on the team would be sufficient work. In the words of one of the current employfor providing the custodial services necessary with ees: “The idea of protecting each other and caring the recent addition of the two new multi-story build- for each other is being replaced by a new idea: ings. The Facilities department does also have stu- the goal of ʻsaving moneyʼ and ʻmore efficient busident employees, however, they are only permitted ness management.ʼ” With management falling into to work a maximum of 10 hours per week. It would the hands of a non-faith-based international corbe in Sodexoʼs and TWUʼs interests to address this poration, several custodial and maintenance staff issue and look into hiring new Facilities staff. believe that this agreement will shift the greater purpose of their work from serving God to being Current employees will not need to go through the centred around money. hiring process again, come June; however, they will need to sign a new contract with Sodexo. While With the new contract not coming fully into effect Mulat did indicate that there will be little to no until June 2019, it is yet to be determined how this changes made in the new contract, the details are agreement will play out. It seems that both parties still unclear—and ultimately, many of the changes in will benefit from the contract—how exactly is not the day-to-day will be in the hands of the new man- yet entirely clear. However, it is crucial to rememagement team. If current custodial/maintenance ber that, ultimately, “It is neither Sodexo nor TWU staff refuse to sign the contract that are at stake in this deal; it is us, the custodians and the maintenance crew, your brothers and sisters, who have worked alongside all TWUʼs employees, building this Christian institution from the very beginning.”

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arts + culture Kennedy Dragt

MH: Would you consider dance more of an art or a sport?

Why? CS: I think that dance is the perfect combination of sport and art. It is extremely physically demanding, and dancers must train their bodies as athletes do. It is also artistic in the way that it is a medium for people to express themselves or tell stories through their bodies. A popular quote from Shanna LaFleur captures this topic very well: “it takes an athlete to dance, but an artist to be a dancer.” Some dances are purely performed as a spectacle or a series of tricks rather than as a means of telling a story, so they leave out the artistic side of dancing and therefore miss out on the potential of creating art through movement. When someone combines athleticism with artistry within a dance however, they create the opportunity for true beauty and discovery.

Corinna Scholing

MH: What are your favourite forms or genres of dance? Why? CS: I get asked this question a lot, and I find it so difficult to answer. I have narrowed it down to three genres: ballet, lyrical, and musical theatre.

I love ballet because it is beautiful, but extremely challenging. I have always loved the dramatic pieces that have intense music and lots of jumps.

I also love ballet because it is fundamental to most other types of dance.

Having a solid foundation in ballet makes you a very versatile dancer.

I also love lyrical. Lyrical is similar to ballet, but less structured, more flowing, and performed to music with lyrics. Itʼs a great medium for expression and telling stories, and itʼs also great in a worship context because it relates directly to the words in the song and invites viewers into the emotion of the piece. I generally choreograph worship dances as lyrical dances.

Musical theatre is also a favourite of mine, because it combines my other loves of music and theatre. I always looked forward to hearing what song we would be dancing to each year, and learning what parts we had was always a highlight. Proudest role I had in a musical theatre dance piece?

Uncle Fester from The Addams Family Musical.

Mars’ Hill: When did you first begin to dance? Tell us a little bit about your journey as a dancer and how your love for dance developed.

Corinna Scholing: I began dancing at the age of six, when I started my first ballet class. From the beginning, I knew I loved it deeply. I had a wonderful teacher, Miss Carla, who instilled in me a love of performing and expressing myself through dance. From grade 1-12, I took dance classes, performed at recitals, and participated in many dance competitions.

When I was in middle school, I discovered that I could use my love of dance as an offering of worship and service. I began choreographing and presenting dances at my church, and then later started teaching worship dance to children at my school and church. Since then, I have been continually finding ways to incorporate dance into my life through jobs, serving, and performance opportunities.

MH: Why do you dance?

CS: Dance has become a part of me. I canʼt even imagine what my life would have been like without it. I knew as a child that I wanted to dance and I never questioned whether I should quit. Going to the dance studio to attend classes, see my friends, and learn more about dance would almost always be the highlight of my week. The studio was my home and brought me so much joy. I dance because it is a part of who I am. Dance has given me confidence; it provides me an outlet, and gives me opportunities to express myself. I also love how there is always more you can learn and improve on. Itʼs a continual process of growth, both physically and emotionally. Not only that, itʼs also incredibly fun. The feeling of leaping high in a jeté, or spinning rapidly in fouettés is so freeing. Additionally, I love the feeling of working hard at a specific step and then finally performing it successfully.

MH: How is dance different from other creative endeavors?

CS: Like most art, dance can take on many forms and provides the avenue for expression, storytelling, and communication. Yet, it differs from other creative endeavours because of its total involvement of the body. Our bodies are our vessels, so using them creates a holistic involvement for dancers where they can engage in mind, spirit, and body. Though there are some other art forms such as acting that include the body, dance engages the body in new and uncommon movements which would not be seen outside the context of dance. This provides new opportunities to explore lifeʼs questions, but does so without seeking to communicate through concrete answers. Antonio Grove, artistic director of the Probe dance company, describes dance as “a beautifully abstracted and intangible form of communication, and in this world where we strive for knowledge, clarity and a quick diagnosis of situations, it retains an essence of mystery.”

MH: How active is your passion for dance in your life currently as a student? How do you hope to incorporate dance into your future career and life path?

CS: Since attending TWU, I have continued dancing by being on the Impact Dance team in my first year, and leading it in my third year. I also continue to dance through theatre by regularly choreographing for high school and community theatre and performing in musicals. I also taught dance to children at a local dance studio every Saturday last year as well as over the last three summers, and I still regularly substitute dance classes when I can.

In my future career as an elementary teacher, I hope to involve dance in my curriculum; I will be able to teach dance units in physical education, in music classes, or perhaps choreograph for school musicals. Additionally, I would love to create an extracurricular dance club at the school I teach which could allow students from families that cannot afford dance lessons the opportunities to learn to dance and perform. I would also love to continue pursuing worship dance by choreographing dances for church and I could perhaps even form a dance ministry within the church. I look forward to seeing where God leads me, and seeing how I will be able to use the gifts He has given me in dance to further His Kingdom.

“How does that Mariah Carey song go again?” –Grace Tan

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Five Netflix holiday films to temporarily distract you from your crushing existential despair Nothing captures the feeling of Christmas more aptly than poorly written cheesy Christmas films. Now, with the help of Netflix, these seasonsʼ delights are more accessible than ever. Look no further for the perfect guide to choosing the perfect holiday feature.

Each of these remarkable films have been meticulously selected, vetted, and reviewed, with love and cheer by your movie-expert peers to help you finally understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Becca Carsience

As soon as my roommate and I saw that it starred Vanessa Hudgens co-starring herself, we immediately made plans to watch it. It did not disappoint. The storyline was fun, cheesy, and pretty much what youʼd expect from a Netflix Christmas original, but nevertheless was a fun movie to “do homework” to. I think the best way to sum this movie up is that you know everything that is going to happen from the beginning, but you have fun anyways.

Rose Henderson

In this holiday hit, two odd, role-playing lovers, who are decidedly not married, have to spend Christmas with their family, despite their best intentions to get away for the holiday. The couple ends up spending four different Christmas celebrations with their various family members who can be best described as “wack.” And yet, after an intervention of sorts, the two decide they do want a family of their own, and a year later, their baby is born and they make it back on TV, where things started a year ago. Wack.

If youʼre looking to entertain yourself with someone elseʼs Christmas problems plus a bit of comedic relief, this is the Christmas movie for you!

Richard Enns

If you enjoy knowing whatʼs going to happen in the first few milliseconds of a film, this movie is for you. This is a Christmas Netflix classic that will leave you thinking about 2 things: Baxter (the homeless guy everyone should have been helping a long time ago) and Jake Lacyʼs search for the perfect kissmas. Prepare yourself to enjoy all 104 minutes of Eliza Taylor falling in If you are looking for a holiday movie that makes you feel better about love with what is without a doubt the perfect package, or just make fun of lying that you needed skip dorm meeting for homework, then A Christmas Prince is the movie for you. It starts off with the only thing that all good it with your friends.

Christmas network masterpieces start with: a big olʼ lie. A great way to build relationships, right? The main female lead pretends to be a tutor to sneak into the royal castle after failing to report about the bad-boy prince.

So, somehow no one notices that she doesnʼt have luggage or any teaching experience, but letʼs chalk that up to the magic of Christmas. Long story short, she finds out that the prince is actually nice, but she gets her heart broken when her lie is exposed. But because this is a happy Christmas movie, she ends up finding the truth from a very unrelated and random source which I wonʼt say ʻcuz itʼs the only surprise in this cookie cutter Christmas Netflix throws us a curveball with this one. Two ridiculously suitable bach- movie. So if you enjoy yelling at your TV that people canʼt build their lives elors and one lovely lady! You find yourself at a loss for which team to be on a throne of lies, this is the movie for you. on: the single dad who loves his daughter and feeds the homeless every week, or the best friend who has loved her since they were kids. Thank goodness thereʼs this magical advent calendar to leads the lady down the right path. I gotta get me one of those.

Sammie Mahon

Alexa Methven

The Tackiness of It All Juliana Chalifour

Often when hosting visitors, whether in a house or dorm, students feel protective of their living area. They might feel like they have to apologise for the dirty dishes in the sink or the scuff marks on the floor that they didnʼt even notice until they realised that someone else might look at the floor and judge them on its cleanliness.

I feel this way about my church. Iʼm a cradle Catholic, and until I began school at Trinity I had been surrounded by mostly other Catholics for the majority of my life. It wasnʼt until I got here that I realised how little Protestants knew about my faith. I have had a few Protestant friends come to Mass with me, and I felt like I had to explain every little detail of the service, including the meaning of the colour of the priestʼs garments. I realise that Catholicism can come off as a bit tacky with our prayer candles, rosaries, and multitude of stained-glass windows. Sometimes I feel that people are unable to look past that. In such instances, I want to tell them, “No,

donʼt look at the scuff marks on the floor, look at the fluffed pillows and scented candles. Look at how welcoming it is,” because thatʼs how it feels for me. It feels comfortable; it feels like home.

Catholicism has always been a part of my life, and Iʼve learned to embrace the tackiness and everything that comes along with it because it truly is beautiful. Itʼs part of my identity, not because I grew up Catholic, but because it is a decision that I made, and not the choice of my parents.

Sure, growing up in a Catholic setting has helped the church seem familiar to me in some ways, but now it is my own. And isnʼt that how it should be?

No matter which church you go to, it should feel comfortable and homelike. Not comfortable in the “Iʼm good here and Iʼm never going to change because itʼs easy this way,” but comfortable in the way that you feel accepted and loved when you walk through the doors. That type of comfort is a pretty good feeling to have.

“A better bottomline question #grilled” –Abbi Seidle

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Beyond Sensationalism Chrisaleen Ciro Spoilers ahead CW, a popular television network that produces entertainment for teens, is known for producing content that unnerves parents. In fact, one parenting magazine even described one of CWʼs shows, Gossip Girl, as “every parentʼs nightmare.” In response, CW turned around and used the phrase as advertising. The supposedly nightmarish content, such as teens drinking, having copious amounts of sex, and challenging their parents, is used to entice teenagers.

Riverdale, another of CWʼs offerings, is a surreal remake of the popular Archie comic. Its viewing remains a relatively popular pastime at TWU, as several of the scenes were filmed close by in picturesque Fort Langley. For example, the graveyard where Jughead is buried in the story is just a block down the road from the church that I attend.

which include pep-rallies in prisons, it would be easy to write off shows like these. However, like all coming-of-age stories, these dramas have the unique capacity to offer their viewers an escape while also building a narrative around characters doing the same. In both Gossip Girl and Riverdale, the teenaged characters are looking at the world their parents built for them and are skeptical of the narratives they have accepted their entire lives. They want to escape. Further, they want the freedom to explore their identities beyond their parentsʼ expectations—an experience often deeply understood by the showʼs target audience. The viewers relate to the characterʼs desire to escape and reach beyond themselves, even as the show itself represents a method of escapism.

Similarly, a cursory viewing of Gossip Girl would suggest that the plot is merely a series of insipid power struggles between over-privileged teenage girls with unhealthy attachment patterns. However, upon closer inspection, the characters emerge as literary archetypes: Serenaʼs character is the archetypal creativeʼs muse, Blair is torn between an Austen heroine and a wicked queen, Nate is a classic chivalric hero, and Chuckʼs plot-line is nearly analogous with that of Shakespeareʼs Hamlet. The writerʼs familiarity with the literary tradition suggests that the authors are aware of the function of literature and are seeking to use classical archetypes to engage modern audiences.

“Despite the fact that many TWU students enjoy Riverdale, some question the reason for its popularity.”

Despite the fact that many TWU students enjoy Riverdale, some question the reason for its popularity. Perhaps this phenomenon occurs because narrative criticism, whether literary or cinematic, is extremely difficult.

Whether one is discussing popular television or classic literature, the tension between high and low culture is notoriously difficult to negotiate. Literary critic Alan Bloom describes canonical fiction as an essential component in the “will to figuration.” By canonical, he refers to pieces of literature that are uniquely significant to Western society, pieces of fiction to which every educated person should be exposed. The idea of fiction as the “will to figuration” implies that fiction satisfies both the desire to be elsewhere and the desire to be significant. Essentially, fiction gives us the opportunity to explore what it means to be human. English literature classes, while entirely well-meaning and necessary, have convinced the Western tradition that there is a difference between “good” and “bad” stories.

However, those that concern themselves with canonical fiction—also known as “good” stories—sometimes forget that even the most inane tale can remind us what it means to be human. Narratives like Riverdale and Gossip Girl have the potential to allow viewers to explore essential tenets of the human experience, such as the desire to transcend their origins (escape) and to aspire to significance. With characters with names like “Evelyn Evernever,” lines like “I would know those abs anywhere,” and plot lines

Their stories are narrated and often directed by the seemingly omnipresent “Gossip Girl.” She, an anonymous gossip blog, is the only entity more powerful than the combined social influence of the six main characters in glamorous New York City. Dan, the protagonist, spends the series aspiring to join his fellow students and assorted love interests on the Upper East Side. At the end of the series we learn that his father told him he should use his creative skills to “write himself into the Upper East Side.” We learn he did so, by becoming “Gossip Girl.” Throughout all of the six seasons, Dan has used his creative machinations to drive the story forward—making him the most powerful person on the Upper East Side. By writing himself into the Upper East Side, Dan uses his own writing to accomplish Bloomʼs goal for canonical fiction: the “will to figuration.” Through the sheer power of his intellect, Dan is able to eventually grasp the thread of his fiction and his life and weave together a semblance of reality.

In similar form, Jughead takes on the role of narrator in Riverdale. When story on television diverts from the familiar norms prescribed by the comic books, the viewers rely on Jughead to contextualize and interpret these turns of events for them. In so doing, Jughead exerts a sense of agency over his own experience—a theme which coming-of-age fiction has the unique ability to explore. Young adult viewers are also in the midst of exploring their identities apart from their parents; they are also learning how to tell their own stories.

While Riverdale and Gossip Girl employ sensationalist tactics, they continue to captivate teenagers and procrastinating college students, because they provide the opportunity to explore both escapism and emerging agency. Like all engaging fiction, they give us the opportunity to perform, imagine, challenge, and explore our daily struggles and eventually, hopefully, find a semblance of a solution, or at least, relief.

“My sanity” –Meredith Grabner

15

The Purpose of the Train Tracks Emma Dykstra

TWU students often complain about the train that constantly barrels through our campus. After all, it is unpleasant to have your bed shake in the middle of the night, or hear the engine blare for about 30 seconds straight at 2:00 in the morning. It seems that some people have decided to make the most of our train situation by visiting the tracks for their personal purposes.

Newsflash, guys. Train tracks were built for absolutely only one purpose: to get a train from point A to point B. They were not made for picture taking, they were not made for romantic DTR walks, they were not made for crushing coins, and they were definitely not made for you to go break the covenant on. They were made for the train to drive on and that is ALL that they were made for. So stop hanging around the train tracks, I donʼt care what your excuse is.

Trains are dangerous; they are big, and they take around 1.5 km to come to a complete stop. If you are lost in a trance about how great you look posing on those beams of steel, there is a serious chance you could be putting yourself in extreme danger.

For those of you who see the train tracks as an absolute necessity in your life and just canʼt bear the thought of being away from them, I have a few suggestions. Go to a Walmart photo booth if youʼre desperate for train track pictures. If you need to go for a walk, there is a path that goes around the pond and is quite lovely when there arenʼt any geese on it. If you need to crush a coin, use a hammer. Or, you know, just donʼt crush a coin and put all that extra change in the printer pig in TWUSA. If you need a place to break the covenant, you could just reconsider your life choices and feel better about yourself at the end of the day. Stay woke, stay safe, and stay away from the train tracks.

How to Write for Mars' Hill 1. Consider what you are passionate about. What makes you mad, excited, indignant, fascinated? What do you wish people knew about?

fill a gap

2. Create a collection of topics you might like to write on.

Think about what section the topics fit into--News, Academy, Arts & Culture, Sports, or Humour? Would they be fit for a feature, or maybe the International Article?

in your program

3. Email or Facebook Message the editor of the section: News: Ishita Wilson, ishitawilson@gmail.com Academy: Kelsey Morris, kmorris550@gmail.com Arts&Culture: Kennedy Dragt, kennedydragt@gmail.com Sports: Bailey Broadbent, baileybroadbent@icloud.com Humour & Space for Rant: Nyssa Morgan, nyssa4morgan@gmail.com Marsʼ Hill Online: Bailey Martens, baileymmartens@ gmail.com Feature or International article: Niki Mara, nicole.mara. ga@gmail.com

Athabasca University has over 850 courses to choose from to meet your needs and courses start every month. AU has over 6,600 transfer agreements around the world (including with this institution).

4. Tell them a bit about yourself, mention that youʼd like to write for their section, list a few of the topics you have in mind, & ask for their feedback! Our section editors are here to help you with the writing and editing process.

5. Voila! You are now on the road to writing your very first Marsʼ Hill article. When you feel satisfied with your work, send it back to your section editor for final edits and approval.

Once you see your article printed in the paper pr [osted online, you will realize that all the hard work was worth it. And youʼll want to continue writing—itʼs quite addicting.

“A ʻ54 convertible” –Pearl Earnest

16

sports

The Baker Effect The Cleveland Browns turnaround courtesy of Baker Mayfield

Robbie Carlson Six hundred and thirty-five days. Thatʼs 1.8 years, 90 weeks, or 15,240 hours. Thatʼs how long the Cleveland Browns went without winning a football game. But whoʼs counting? Baker Mayfield, 2018 first overall NFL draft pick of the Cleveland Browns certainly is.

Since joining the Browns lineup earlier this season, Mayfield has brought an end to Clevelandʼs lengthy 19-game losing streak, celebrating four wins and one tie thus far in the season. “Iʼve just been waiting for my moment,” says Mayfield. Though itʼs not the best record in the NFL, Browns fans are overjoyed with what the future holds for the team. Cleveland, a city known for being a graveyard for talented quarterbacks, finally feel it has the right fit with a young and confident Mayfield.

Nonetheless, the journey has not been easy for the 23-year-old Texan. Being overlooked is something that Mayfield has gotten used to throughout his young career. His college football career started with him walking into Texas Tech University and, the following season, the University of Oklahoma with no scholarship or guarantee he would play. That did not stop him, as he quickly became the first walk-on quarterback to start a season opener and in the process earned himself “[b]ig 12 offensive player of the year,” even securing the prized Heisman trophy for most outstanding college football player following his senior year with the Oklahoma Sooners.

At six feet and one inch tall, Mayfield is hailed as an “undersized” player, which is the primary reason he didnʼt get much attention from coaches and scouts. Not to mention his whole life he had to deal with people telling

him he was “too short,” “too slow,” or was “too immature.” But if you ask him, the haters give him even more reason to succeed: “Iʼm not looking for anybodyʼs approval,” he says. “I just got to go out there and do my job.”

Against all odds, the Cleveland Browns selected Baker Mayfield first overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, making him the first walk-on to ever be drafted first overall.

However, many thought that Mayfield would drop in the draft due to his off-field antics. In 2017, Mayfield was arrested for public intoxication, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and fleeing. “Itʼs about facing adversity, embracing mistakes and being upfront about it,” he recently said, “and being better in the future.”

Now, the overlooked and undersized kid from Texas, who went from a walk-on to becoming one of college footballʼs biggest stars, is set to erase any doubt about why the Browns selected him first overall. “Youʼve got to be self-confident,” says Mayfield, “with social media and all sorts of things in todayʼs day and age, thereʼs a lot of negativity, and thereʼs something to be said about having good old confidence in yourself and having a true belief.”

Baker Mayfield has received criticism at every step of his journey, but if you ask him how he has accomplished so much under the immense pressure he faces on a daily basis, youʼll see that big “Baker smile” and heʼll whimsically tell you the same thing every time: “Iʼm just getting started.”

Chris Weiss MH: What events do you compete in for the Spartans?

CW: I pretty much do it all. I compete in seven different running, jumping, and throwing events in the indoor heptathlon and ten different events in the outdoor decathlon over two days.

Hometown: West Vancouver, British Columbia Year: 4th Major: Kinesiology Sport: Track and Field Mars’ Hill: How did you first get involved in track and field?

Chris Weiss: I started in track way back when I was in elementary school and continued it into high school.

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

CW: I heard about TWU through general word of mouth around both my church and high school. I later found out it had a track team that offered pole vault, so that solidified my decision to come here.

MH: What made you want to continue running track at university?

CW: I wanted to continue jumping after high school, and Trinity let me walk on to their team. I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to be part of the team and compete in my first year, as I didnʼt know what to expect when I started.

MH: What is your favorite event?

CW: Pole vaulting, without a doubt.

MH: Whatʼs your greatest sports related accomplishment?

CW: Last season I finished 10th at USPORT Nationals in the heptathlon (seven different events).

MH: Whatʼs the best part about competing with the Spartans team?

CW: Practices when the musicʼs bumping at the track or in the gym and everyone is dancing between reps are the best!

MH: Do you play any other sports other than track?

CW: I am a big fan of ultimate frisbee. I also really enjoy snowboarding and surfing when Iʼm not competing.

“A weighted blanket” –Mary Nydam

17

Final Flight: The End of The Bombers Bailey Broadbent Founded in 2000, the Trinity Western University Bombers are the longest standing hockey club at TWU. As their 19th season under the Bombers moniker begins, the team is embarking on what fans are calling the “Final Flight.”

TWU club sports has begun the transition from various separate entities into the umbrella of Spartans Rec. This means that the “Bomb Squad” is sadly playing their final season under the iconic Bombers title. However, Brett Fontaine, the team captain, and the rest of his co-pilots are not going out without a fight, and they have one goal in mind: a championship. So far, the Bombers have come flying out of the gates, with an impressive first place 8-2 record. Hereʼs the latest scoop on the team with various interviews involving team coach, player, and general manager.

Q&A with head coach Brett Fountaine (BF), general manager Spencer Cushing (SC), and veteran defenseman Deryk Kirchner (DK).

Mars’ Hill: You all are at different stages of your careers with the Bombers. What is different about the team this year in the Final Flight?

Brett Fontaine: I learned a lot in my first year of coaching. Now in my second year, I see that this team wants to win bad [sic]. This being the last year the black and orange will be worn for Trinity, there is pride in carrying that mantle one last time. We want to leave as champions and thatʼs what we plan to do; management has been looking into mid-season trades and acquisitions to see if we can fill into holes of our roster.

Deryk Kirchner: I had a great four years with the Spartans, and felt I made a positive impact, highlighted by a championship and a ton of great friendships. I see the same intangibles that lead to a championship, visible on this Bombers team; they are a highly talented and closely-knit group.

Moreover, they are hungry for a victory as the pressure of the last season is on.

Spencer Cushing: I think we are a team that battles every night and likes to have fun. We arenʼt where we want to be defensively, but we are getting the two points consistently. Compared to other teams, we just get pucks to the net, are banging bodies, four lines banging bodies all night long.

MH: What is the biggest X-factor that other teams arenʼt considering about the Bombers?

BF: I think fans like Riley Shad, Noah Postman, and others are important to our success. They are season ticket holders that make almost every game; they are even knowing [sic] to travel with the team for road games.

Recently, they got to experience a meal with the coaching staff and some

players as part of the Bombersʼ “give back” initiative. Having fans in the stands motivates the guys.

SC: Some of our rookies will have a surprising impact. When I think of James Gordon—heʼs like a cheetah. Fast, rarely seen, but when he shows up heʼs a force to be reckoned with. Thatʼs the X-factor.

DK: I think the X-factor is the team itself. For some teams, they leave the game at the rink, but for the Bombers, the commitment is more. The guys buy in, live, and breath the Final Flight.

MH: The team has over 70% of their players in committed relationships.

Do you think this helps or hinders the teamʼs play?

SC: Management has no problem with players having romantic relationships. Looking to the stands and seeing your girl in the crowd can provide a much-needed boost of energy.

BF: For most, it motivates them to play better because thereʼs nothing worse than having to look your loved ones in the eye after a tough loss and tell them that you might be traded due to poor play.

DK: The more players that have girlfriends, the better chance of the team getting snacks, which is the key to the Bombersʼ hearts. I think itʼs a positive.

MH: A recent Uber ride of Bombers players talking about the team was recorded, but not released to the public. What do you imagine was said?

BF: There is definitely some frustration; weʼre a frustrated bunch. There have been rumours of players not paying attention for the past three weeks and thinking that we will get by on talent alone after our 8-2 start. Iʼve talked to some players and they have no idea whatʼs going on.

DK: I canʼt confirm if I was or was not in the Uber. We have a great coaching and management staff.

SC: Multiple people probably asked about when the Bombers jackets were coming in. One player may have spoken up about back-checking but nobody else in the car listened. Talk about individual bonuses was more than likely swirling around the vehicle, led by Dawson Shelvey who was definitely bringing up the fact that he is in danger of missing his bonus due to penalty minutes.

The Bombers have just taken off in their final season, and while there will be obstacles, they are ready for the adventure to push for a championship. Stay tuned for the upcoming “Final Flight” documentary in 2019 and watch the Bombers Saturday nights at the Langley Sportsplex.

THIS WEEK' S� STUDS AND DUDS Bailey Broadbent Studs:

Fresh off a franchise record ten-game winning streak, the Buffalo Sabres took over top spot in the NHL standings last week. In the process, the Sabres became the first team in league history to hold top spot overall after 25 games after finishing dead last in the previous season.

Duds:

In early October, the Vancouver Canucks sat atop the NHLʼs Pacific Division with ten wins. The team then lost seven games in a row, and now sit just a handful of points ahead of last place. Nice job!

After starting their NFL season off to an impressive 3-1 start, the Jacksonville Jaguars also rallied off seven straight losses, currently After a mid-season trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, sitting last in the AFC South division.

Derrick Roseʼs fourth team in as many years, the former MVP point Currently sitting at four wins and 17 losses (and counting), the Phoeguard has become one of the feel-good stories of the NBA this sea- nix Suns are off to their worst start in franchise history. They too son. Last month he dropped a career-high 50-points against Utah, recently endured a seven-game losing streak. and is now averaging 19 points-per-game. Not bad for a player many felt was possibly due for retirement just a season ago.

“Donald Trumpʼs impeachment” –Alex Gust

18

humour

The Zodiac Signs as Food at Christmas Dinner Nyssa Morgan

Aries (March 21 - April 19): Hot apple cider with real cinnamon sticks that your sister learned to make off of Pinterest.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20): Grandmaʼs secret recipe mashed potatoes that are in-frickin-credible.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20): A gluten-free tofurkey which is absolutely disgusting but itʼs better than living off of ramen noodles so why not choke it down?

Cancer (June 21 - July 22): The weird marshmallow-yam casserole thing that everyone brings to church potlucks.

Nyssa Morgan

Libra (September 23 - October 22): Roasted vegetables that end up on the bottom of the pile of food on your plate and youʼre too stuffed to eat them by the time you eat your way there.

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21): Homemade cranberry sauce that your mom makes every year even though no one really eats it.

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21): The giant, gorgeous turkey that looks amazing but you have to douse in gravy because itʼs a little bit dry.

Capricorn (December 22 - January 19): Storebought stuffing that definitely has too much salt in it.

Leo (July 23 - August 22): Fancy chocolate mousse that your rich cousin imported from France to show everyone how rich he is.

Aquarius (January 20 - February 18): Two-bite brownies you stole from the caf that you brought to make it look like you contributed.

Virgo (August 23 - September 22): Two-year-old fruitcake that your aunt found in the back of the cupboard.

Pisces (February 19 - March 20): Gingerbread cookies that are a little burnt on the edges but taste pretty good when theyʼre dunked in tea.

The Art of Being a “Chad” Ten steps to achieve big Chad energy

Emmett Hanly

Youʼve all seen them: the absolute units that prowl confidently along the campus grounds. They are the campus Chads, basically equivalent to Adonis or the Vitruvian man. These mysterious man-hunks who most likely live in Douglas are not just a fantasy, theyʼre the real deal, baby! And now, you can become one too by following these 10 steps: 1.Actually go to the gym: easier said than done, but itʼs free on campus so you still have no excuse.

2.Maybe eat something other than Sodexo: if you donʼt have another choice, youʼre restricted to the salad bar. And dry protein powder.

3.Espionage: try spying on the Chads, and learn to emulate their behavior. Be careful though, since theyʼd probably think youʼre a total weirdo if they saw you, and any chance you had at joining the Chads would be utterly DEMOLISHED. 4.Adjust your walk: the Chad stride is one of the biggest power moves you can physically make. Each step carries the poise of a Greek statue, perpetually in contrapposto. It is majestic, beautiful, and embodies confidence.

5.Adopt Chad speech: if youʼre walking the walk, youʼd better talk the talk. Try saying cool things like “Hey bro pass the protein” and “Hey bro letʼs go to Costco and pick up some protein” or “Hey bro after eating all that protein Iʼve made some mad gainz”.

6.Embrace Chad Culture: do some research to learn what sorts of things campus Chads are into (spoiler alert: itʼs ping pong, always).

7.Always be on the lookout for false Chads: some beefcakes may appear to be Chads, but a real Chad is a beautiful and wholesome creature. Never forget that. If a suspected Chad uses their beauty and grace for nefarious purposes and mere indulgence of their own ego, find a better role model!

8.Protein: Protein? Protein.

9.Join the Spartans: this is the semi-final step, and once youʼve infiltrated the greatest of the Chad elites, thereʼs only one thing left to do.

10. Legally change your name to Chad: your first, middle, and last names must all be changed to Chad. Yes, your name will be Chad Chad Chad, but no one will dare to forget it.

Congratulations! Youʼve done it! You have become the modern Prometheus, a true specimen of Chad-ly perfection. Now go out there and share some Chad amongst the masses, you handsome fella.

Connorʼs De-classified Christmas Survival Guide Connor Thiessen

Okay people, itʼs almost “the most wonderful time of the year” or whatever, and I think I can speak for at least some of us when I say that heading home for the holidays sounds nothing short of terrifying. From relatives asking what you plan to do with your English degree after graduating, to realizing that there is no gap between this semesterʼs tuition payments and the next, mid-to-late December can be fraught with anxiety. So, I figured I would impart some top-notch advice to you guys about dealing with fickle festivities.

Punch Christmas in the face. I donʼt mean that in an inherently malicious way; just take the red-nosed reindeer by the antlers and slam it into submission. Rip open presents with one mighty swoop. Chug down the piping-hot apple cider in under 30 seconds. Kiss the mistletoe. Some people might

think you picked up a rotten attitude from that fancy private university you attend, but those who really matter will admire your tenacity.

If you Christmas hard enough, you wonʼt notice that your millionaire aunt from out east is judging you for not bringing home a significant other, or the conversation your grandparents are having with your parents about their rejuvenated sex lives. No, youʼll be far too busy throwing ornaments at high velocities at the Christmas tree. Youʼll be hitting a dead sprint in a winter wonderland.

The first year I tried this, I woke up on New Yearʼs Day holding a giant candy cane and wearing five pairs of antlers. Best Christmas Iʼve ever had.

“Monique Bouchard gave me an apron so Iʼm good now” –Jamison Derksen

Home for us

Home is Santa Clara, California.

Home is wherever I feel most at ease; somewhere I can curl up with a good book and a cup of tea.

M a n n y Home is Langley, British Columbia.

Home is where you can think your best thoughts.

B a i l e y Home is British Columbia. Home is wherever I am.

S i e r r a

“Emotional support” –Hannah Myers

Home is Bursa, Turkey. Home is the world; you can explore fully and find a trace of it wherever you go.

I s h i t a

Home is Paraguay/Bolivia/BC… Home is where I find community and people to build into.

H a z a l

Home is British Columbia. Home is not solely one place; it is wherever I feel most loved.

R i c h a r d

B a i l e y Home is Ladner, British Columbia.

Home is wherever I can be myself, love, and be loved.

Home is West Kelowna, BC. Home is where I am free to be myself and where I am happiest.

H a n n a h

K e l s e y Home is Calgary, Alberta. Home is made up of all the people and places that accept my craziness in all its glory.

Home is BC. Home is the scent of coastal spruce in the rain, a cozy blanket and a mug of tea, toes dug in the dirt, lines of poetry that wonʼt leave my head; home is peace permeating the earth.

N y s s a

N i k i Home is all the cities of Russia I have lived in. Home is cultural heritage, family, and familiarity.

Home is the Northwest salish Coast.

Home is the people who really know you—the ones who remind you to drink water, but are down to get a bit wine-happy later.

K e n n e d y

S a b i n e Home is Santa Cruz, California, the Netherlands, rural Midwest, British Columbia. Home is the ocean, forest and field, everywhere and nowhere, presence in body and soul.

J a n a e

E m m a Home is Emo, Ontario. Home is wherever I can feel at peace.

Home is White Rock, BC. Home is a place I know and a place where people know me.

THE

HIMNAL Major: Arts, Media, + Culture Height: 5ʼ9” Hometown: Somerville, New Brunswick

Alex Walker

Favourite Christian (non-worship) song?

“Jesus Freak”The Newboys How would you win their parents over?

Give a firm handshake, have respectful demeanour, and make some killer puns Best place for a first kiss?

Wherever my last first kiss is going to be

Eric Rogers

What is your signature dish?

Pizza What theme do you envision for the wedding?

Superhero What type of animal represents you?

Panda: huggy, hungry, and happy Do you live by any motto?

When life hands you good food, eat it, cuz it might be awhile before you see it again.

Kenzie Morgan

“A firm handshake” –Nyssa Morgan

What do you put in your coffee?

Ice. I drink Iced Capps.

How would you make up after your first fight?

On my knees, with my head hung low, and their fave food in my hands How do you plan to take family photos?

As quickly and efficiently as possible Top quality in a future mate?

Patience

Year: 1 Age: 18

Domestic talents?

I can make a mean PB+J; I know how to mop, vacuum, and dust; I mow a killer lawn.

Skill that makes you “the one?”

Iʼm never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you.

(Iʼm committed) Best pick-up line?

Iʼd take you to the movies, but they donʼt let snacks inside