Volume 26 Issue 3: Fever Dream

Mars Hill

erous Dreamland of Cults PG. 10-11 ang eD Th

Not God, But Life PG. 13

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ISSUE 03

VOLUME 26

PG .8 Spotlight: Ta Local lett a

MAKENA WARDLE Editor-in-Chief

CARTER SAWATZKY Managing Editor

RACHEL WEGNER Visual Editor

GILLIAN SCOTT Copy Editor

Dear Reader,

MARITHA LOUW News Editor

KYLE PENNER Opinions Editor

SOPHIE HOLLAND Arts & Culture Editor

SCOTT BOWERS Sports Editor

BRAEDON GROVER SUNNES Humour Editor

LEX DIERSCH Staff Writer

DIEGO BASCUR Staff Writer

ZACHARY SIMONYI-GINDELE Illustrator

While attending a Christian institution like Trinity Western University (TWU), we are so often surrounded by ideological binaries: heaven and hell, believer and unbeliever, good and evil, and the political left and right. We have taken this Halloween issue as an opportunity to consider both the fringes and the spaces in-between.

“Fever Dream” focuses on the abnormal, absurd, abstract, and sometimes alarming. Our feature article, “Don’t Drink The Kool-Aid!” discusses the ways that dichotomous thinking can put us at risk of adopting harmful beliefs for the sake of uniformity, as well as the dangers that can come from extremist perspectives.

In “Alt-Right to Alright,” Braedon Grover Sunnes explores the extreme nature of the alt-right pipeline. Syd Dvorak explains the disturbing and nightmarish reality of sexualized violence on university campuses in “Living in ‘The Red Zone.’”

And in “August Was a Fever Dream,”

MARS’ HILL

CATE TSO Layout Editor

MACKENNA WILSON Photographer & Social Media Manager

Mars’ Hill is a student publication of Trinity Western University located on the traditional ancestral territory of the Stó:lō people. Floated with funds raised by the Student Association, Mars’ Hill seeks to be a professional and relevant student publication, reflecting and challenging the TWU community, while intentionally addressing local, national, and international issues.

MISSION TO MARS

JARED KLASSEN Web Editor

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

MEDIA ADVISOR: Loranne Brown

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Anna Marie Elena dives into the theme’s meaning in her melancholic take on summer days.

In many of the Christian environments I have inhabited, I have been taught a black-and-white perspective on the world. Yet, as I have grown older, I have started to meander through the areas in-between. These colourful spaces which surround and fill the gaps of the black-and-white can feel frightening.

Yet, the freedom that comes with allowing oneself to wander through these foreign spaces is extraordinarily liberating: it may even lead you to see things in a new, different, and more nuanced light.

Cheers,

EDITORIAL POLICY

Mars’ Hill encourages submissions and Letters to the Editor. Mars’ Hill reserves the right to edit submissions for style, brevity, and compatibility with the Mission, the Statement of Faith, the Student Handbook, and the Core Values of the University. Anonymous authorship of any material may be granted at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief. Opinions expressed in Mars’ Hill belong to the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, Trinity Western University, its officials or its Student Association.

CONTRIBUTORS

Dr. Craig Broyles Sydney Dvorak Taletta Christa Lyford Robbie Down

Anna Marie Elena Sam Rosenau Lucy Chuang Sadie McDonald Jacob Low

DECLASSIFIEDS SUBMIT YOUR OWN AT MARSHILLNEWSPAPER.COM/DECLASSIFIEDS

Plesse stop making dorm instas no one cares In person lectures are useless and a waste of money. that little grease spot that shows up on my coffee lids<<<<<<<

Seeing Naomi Wiebe always makes my day. Girl, you are a ray of sunshine <3 Using the lockdown drill to commit the perfect crime Why is @fraserdilfs actually the best dorm Instagram account?

Watching grumpy conservative boys trying to talk about social justice in class is really funny

Look out for turtles in the pond

You know what I can’t stand?

When people say “heart sparkle.” Let’s let that term die.

So….are you truly a Christian if you partake in pre-marital kissing? Asking for a friend.

Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber are a couple and no one can convince me otherwise

Christian broke the swing over the summer, but eulogized it on his Instagram story so beautifully that I couldn’t even be mad about it.

Feel free to buy Johanna a vanilla latte any time

TWUSA coffee tastes like bacon Robbie bit me shoutout to the steamy car in the cpc parking lot at 11pm asking how many classes someone is taking is artimajorphobic Instead of more Starbucks and Sodexo Starbucks there needs to be a Tims on campus. I don’t want to drive 10 minutes for a ice cap Holly don’t break up with your boyfriend

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbour’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”

Matthew 5:43-44 TWU, we’re not doing a good job of this.

The new director of operations at TWUSA is doing amazing job - whoever you are I LOVE YOU!!!

Why did the noodle go to bed?

Because it was pasta bedtime.

Who’s that dude in 6UP that walks around in nothing but a diaper? Please close the window.

This time on “Are TWU’s actions illegal”: Are they allowed to charge me rent for a room that HAS NO HEATING??? (We live in Canada for goodness sake)

Braedon is the Olivia Rodrigo of Trinity :3

I am low-key mad my hot admissions counselor moved as soon as i got to school. what a scam.

This school is making me work on projects I never signed up for. Just use my tuition to hire full time employees! I’m not even getting paid!

is it bad that the only reason I’m talking to a guy right now is that he knows French and I’m trying to learn? Asking for a friend…

Do you think Grand Master Daddy Mark Husbands reads the declassiffieds?

When you invite yourself over to someone’s place without an invitation, the audacity to ask for tea and water without being offered…

conspiracy theory: there are spartans sabotaging games

Really gonna miss all 11 theatre majors next year

wow those mcmillanites got done dirty

Trinity still calling themselves a non-profit is the biggest joke in Canada.

My video game and culture class is full of league of legends mouthbreathers. Please be there to learn, and not mansplain.

Low-key hate when people overuse the term ‘friend’ .... “hey friend,” “Bye friend,” “How’s it going friend,” “FRIEND!” Use people’s names, or better yet..... just say “hey.” It’s so ingenuine when you use the same title for every person you talk to. Just sayin.

Just a little PSA to all you Christian boys out there: “I just really feel like I need to work on myself and get closer to God” is no longer an acceptable excuse for breaking up with a girl. #NormalizeHonesty

Time for security to deal with their yearly death on campus Trinity doesnt care about truth and reconciliation they care about looking like they care about truth and reconciliation.

to the male nursing student driving a honda with the tinted windows... stop driving 50km/h in a parking lot, find a safer way to compensate ;) The guy who had a heart attack probably just had to look at our tuition prices tbh If Student Life took a RELS class at Trinity maybe they’d stop acting like they do If anybody says “heart sparkle,” or “singleness” ever again I am going to vomit I’m re-reading Narnia for Children’s lit right now and the further I get into it the more I am convinced that Lucy Pevensie is a lesbian The only thing getting me through lab is my enthusiastic lab partner. I’m glad you enjoy it buddy

Can someone fix the light in that one Douglas washroom or at-least have EDM playing 24/7

Dear fifth year in foundations: You’re a better procrastinator than I am. I’m impressed. Sincerely, old in OT. Commuter break in to Jacobson study rooms starts today!

Why are all these first year pubescent boys looking like 22 year old men…. They should have to disclose that before I start crushing on them Follow @mexiqueencuisine on insta!!! Best tacos on campus Tell me why I heard these Caucasian guys during cultural dance say to my black friends that they’re too dark that they can’t see their legs.

How do I officially call debs on dating a female nursing student?

I’ll wear my lanyard around my neck! My body my choice.

There are employees in this school who needs to stop the spiritual abuse.

Now that I’ve graduated, Dr. Kimberly Franklin’s dislike of me screwed me over. Sorry I’m a male high school teacher and not one of your little perfect female elem teachers…

Ah foo-rick To everyone that didn’t like the dead animal pranks, I actually thought it was funny! (and my dorm was the one that got pranked) https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8LM58jG/ I’m literally obsessed with exploromann. Plz give me attention!!

How am I supposed to focus in class when yo momma’s in my DM’s?

Dear Steamy Car at CPC, your secret is safe with me besides the fact that I’m typing it here Bruh, 10pm ain’t that slick Is the humanities rep single?

Asking for myself Skidmore 231 I haven’t been thinking of you…but I’d meet at the pavilion at 12(pm) to pray i come to 11:07 to see god (braedon) god WOULD look dapper mackenna wilson Braedon looking dapper AF in that three piece suit for 11:07

Does anyone else forget to vote for TWUSA every year?

Have u noticed the first years stopped wearing their lanyards around their neck?

Girls- don’t do it. Rugby boys are bad news.

Dr Holly Nelson is a national treasure

I mean this in the humblest way possible but: it’s hard being funny, smart, AND hot. Cause you fools only be lookin’ and not listenin’.

Draw your dreams in the sauce.

We are one in the sauce.

I’m seeing a whole lot of Trinity ads across town for a school that can’t even afford a Theatre Department anymore Mark is probably just mad he didn’t get the role of Arthur in the school play I hate how a lot of my Moodle classes never show 100% complete at the end of the semester Am I gonna get fined if I keep ignoring the stop signs?

Wear your dang mask - it’s literally not that hard heathens unite

Holly, if you’re reading this, you NEED to break up with your boyfriend ASAP Josh Buffinga is a gaslighting - girl bossing - gatekeeping power walking machine -with a beautiful man purse… I see you walking to northwest ten times a day. who is Jacob lowbach?

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

DR. CRAIG BROYLES

CONTRIBUTOR OF THE ISSUE What is your field of study? Which faculty?

Old Testament, FHSS Where are you from?

San Francisco Bay area.

What is something you’re passionate about and want to share with the world?

The Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, because it testifies to a faith in God that many Christians today overlook because they don’t hear it on its own terms.

Why do you write for Mars’ Hill?

As a way of contributing to the students’ conversations.

What is your favourite article of clothing?

My SF Giants hat.

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

“When it comes to Trump, use your Christian liberal arts education” (March 2018). Why is it important? A Christian liberal arts education gives students the tools and skills to dispassionately assess passionate, polarized politics.

Who is your favourite (fictional) character and why?

Alexander Hamilton in the musical “Hamilton.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda describes “Hamilton” as “a story about America then, told by America now.” Miranda’s Hamilton testifies to a complex character of American history and to the cross-purposes Americans currently face—all with drama and humor.

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EVERYDAY DEMOCRACY MARITHA LOUW

Politics is generally seen as an abhorrent, must-beavoided-at-all-costs type of system. For many, the idea of politics entails old, white men in backrooms discussing how to maximize their own profits while claiming they are making the world a better place.

Others see it as too complex to understand. They make little effort to comprehend the different parties’ platforms, do not want to watch the debates, or even do their own research prior to voting—that is, if they vote at all.

In university, do we not have enough to care about already? Is there not enough responsibility on our shoulders without having to worry about the government too? Maybe you think that it does a good enough job already. There are rules and laws and orders that we follow, most of our individual freedoms are well-protected, and, by and large, you might be content with your day-to-day life as is.

“At some point, you have to grow up and take responsibility for your opinion and conscience, and take a stand on something.”

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safety, marriage rights, student loans––the list can keep going for miles. Your one vote can make a difference in how the government meets your needs. Even if you vote for a candidate or party who is unlikely to gain power, your vote contributes to voting trends that can change the direction a nation is going over time.

Voter turnout refers to the percentage of eligible voters in a nation who actually cast their ballot during an election. Low voter turnouts in elections can reflect a national feeling of disenchantment or indifference. Usually, the number of non-voters is concentrated in a particular demographic—usually, the younger generation. The last three federal elections in Canada saw voter turnout drop consistently: in 2015 voter turnout was 68.3 percent, in 2019 it was 67 percent, and this past election saw only 62.2 percent. According to data collected by the Government of Canada, “not interested in politics” remains as the top reason for not voting.

Voter turnout matters because elections are where the major decisions are made in modern democracies. Especially if only a small demographic of society has a high voter turnout, governments and legislatures specifically are badly representative of all demographics. Therefore, a country comes to function based on only a small group of people’s opinions.

But as long as you remain apathetic and ignorant to politics, you will be living in a dreamlike state with no worries or responsibilities beyond your own lifestyle. At some point, you have to grow up and take responsibility for your opinion and conscience, and take a stand on something. This is not a progressive or radical or ludicrous idea; it is democracy.

Education is a primary way to increase voter turnout as it encourages citizens to be aware of the goings-on. There has been discussion around lowering the voting age from 18 to 16. Most 16-18 year olds will be in school when elections occur, meaning that teachers and school districts will be motivated to include voting and election discussions as part of their curriculum. In addition, establishing the habit of voting early will increase the likelihood of them voting in the future.

Politics affects your daily life immensely. Far from the distribution of power and resources, politics also affects your wages, taxes, and healthcare, among other things. The right to vote for women, Indigenous Peoples, non-landowners—these fundamental rights were a result of the political process. Pension plans, the price of gasoline, the consumer tax you pay on everyday purchases. Road

Another option to raise voter turnout is to make voting mandatory. Twenty-two nations all across the globe currently have a mandatory voting process, including Australia, Egypt, Mexico, Lebanon, Greece, and Thailand. It is not a fix-all system, however. In its 2016 election, Australia managed a turnout of only 91percent—this is likely due to a mere $20 fine for not voting. A study by the Uni-

versity of Toronto claims that “mandatory voting also results in a more informed electorate as individuals, spurred by the requirement to vote, become more engaged with politics.”

“The burden of maintaining a healthy democracy rests on its citizens.”

The biggest advantage of increasing education on electoral processes and establishing mandatory voting is that political knowledge will be more evenly spread across economic classes and social demographics. Democracies are created in order to provide a population with a representative group of lawmakers. The data on this is clear. In Canada, while males and females each make up about half of the population, only 29 percent of the Members of Parliament elected in 2019 were female. In the 2016 Census, 22.3 percent of the total population was identified as members of a visible racial minority group, and yet, in 2019, only 17.8 percent of the MP’s elected were visible minorities or Indigenous. White males won this race by a landslide, accounting for almost 60 percent of MPs. It is easy enough to become pessimistic and cynical about politics in general and to decide to throw in the towel completely. But when you live in a democracy, it is your responsibility to participate in it.

This could mean anything from voting in elections, reading up on candidates’ platforms, fact-checking speeches, participating in community activities, volunteering, or just having a conversation with family and friends. The burden of maintaining a healthy democracy rests on its citizens. You can not complain about the way your city, province, or country is run if you did not make an effort to make your voice heard. The naive, blissful dreamland is populated by the apathetic, who, when forced to come to terms with reality, will be forced to face a world they did not choose.

HOSTAGE DIPLOMACY MARITHA LOUW

News stories about the Chinese technology company Huawei have circulated for the last three years, involving Canada, China, and the United States. In December 2018, Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, was detained when her flight landed in Vancouver, Canada. After three years of living under house arrest, Wanzhou was released last month and has since flown back to China.

“It has become apparent that the two men have been used as pawns in the political dispute.”

It was at the request of the U.S. that Wanzhou was detained in Canada. The U.S. wanted her to stand trial on charges including fraud and evading sanc-

tions, and, as such, filed an extradition request for her to be transferred to American soil. Her lawyers in turn launched an attack on the U.S.’ request, claiming that the crime which it was charging her with is not a crime in Canada itself. For three years the case raged in courtrooms, seemingly with no end in sight.

The impact of this case has rippled across the Pacific Ocean, infuriating China and straining relations with the U.S. and Canada. Two Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, were detained in China a few days after Wanzhou’s initial detention, on suspicion of spying. Michael Kovrig is a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor is a businessman. A Chinese court has accused the pair of espionage and sentenced them to 11 years in prison. Canada responded with scathing remarks (or as scathing as Justin Trudeau can be), saying that their trial did not meet the minimum standards required by international law. Neither man was granted access to a lawyer and both were denied contact with their families.

China has vehemently denied that the “Two Michaels” cases are related to Wanzhou’s arrest in Canada, but it has become apparent that the two men have been used as pawns in the political dispute. Prime Minister Trudeau has accused China of using “pressure tactics” to secure the release of Wanzhou, and has sought the support of the U.S., Britain, France, and Germany to, in turn, pressure China for the pair’s release.

A few days after Wanzhou was released and back home in China, both Kovrig and Spavor were released as well and flew home to Canada. It seems that the diplomatic row between China and the West has reached a conclusion, although tensions still remain, and it seems that the once amicable China-Canada relation has been soured indefinitely. China still denies that its arrest and detention was in retaliation for Wanzhou’s arrest, but it is apparent that the two men have been used as political bargaining chips in a massive geopolitical dispute.

A TAXING VAXONOMY: WHY WE’RE EXHAUSTED CARTER SAWATZKY

Irritated, burnt out, and mentally ill? These are some of the side effects from simply being alive in our current moment. Google searches for the phrase “Why am I tired all the time?” have been at their highest levels between July 2021 and September 2021. We have endured a grueling yearand-a-half-long pandemic, waves of (merited) social unrest, a near-pointless Canadian election, and increasing tensions with friends and family around the topics of masks, COVID-19 restrictions, and vaccine mandates. The post-vaccination guidebook changes on a near-weekly basis, we are dealing with scientific uncertainty on a widescale level, and new COVID variants pop up faster than we can pull out our vaccine cards. The majority of Canadians are feeling under the weather, exhausted, and annoyed. That feeling does not seem to be going away any time soon.

Shocker! Tensions are increasing between vaccinated and unvaccinated Canadians. According to the Leger survey, more than three in four respondents hold negative views of those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. The survey was conducted for the Association of Canadian Studies and surveyed 1,549 Canadians in an online poll between September 10 and 12.

The survey found that vaccinated people consider the unvaccinated as selfish and irresponsible, a view opposed by those who are not immunized.

The results also found divisions among unvaccinated Canadians, with about one in four unvaccinated respondents holding negative views towards others with the same inoculation status. Association president, Jack Jedwab, says the survey findings

suggest that unvaccinated people personally justify their reasons for not being immunized, but will reject others’ decision to follow the same course.

Jedwab says: “[T]here’s a high level of I would say antipathy or animosity toward people who are unvaccinated at this time. What you are seeing is the tension played out among family members and friends, co-workers, where there are relationships between people who are vaccinated and unvaccinated.”

“The post-vaccination guidebook changes on a near-weekly basis, we are dealing with scientific uncertainty on a wide-scale level, and new COVID variants pop up faster than we can pull out our vaccine cards.”

Importantly, the Leger survey notes that the tensions between vaccinated and unvaccinated Canadians are comparable to some of the other cultural, social, and racial issues that divide the

population. As vaccine mandate deadlines approach and social frictions increase, the trend of hostility towards unvaccinated people may only escalate from here.

Surprise! Mental illness is on the rise. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health are beginning to be seen in the major spikes in cases of depression and anxiety. A new study by Australian researchers, published in The Lancet on October 8, investigated over 5,600 datasets from various surveys around the world and conducted disease modelling to calculate the pandemic’s impact on mental wellbeing. The study shows that in 2020 alone, there were an additional 53 million cases of major depressive disorder and 76 million new cases of anxiety disorder. This amounts to an increase of 28 percent and 26 percent, respectively. Importantly, people between the ages of 20 and 24 were shown to have had the highest cases of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder. Undoubtedly, this is connected to widespread unemployment and school closures disproportionately affecting youth and their abilities to interact with each other. If anything, the recent study proves that we are not faking the burnout, especially if our levels of productivity, social battery stamina, and habits of self-regulation are not back to normal even after returning to more in-person events.

So if you are tired, exhausted, anxious, or all of the above—I am right there with you.

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FEMINIST NEWS LIVING IN ‘THE RED ZONE’

SYDNEY DVORAK

Content Warning: rape, sexual assault.

“We won’t be silenced, and we won’t be ignored.”

This is the reason survivors of sexual assault, and those who stand in solidarity with them, protested at the University of Kansas last month. Thousands of students at the University of Kansas protested for two nights in front of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity after allegations that a woman had been drugged and raped at a party there on September 11.

These protests represent a shift in how students at institutions of higher learning are thinking about and responding to sexual violence––many are protesting for a zero-tolerance policy for anyone who commits sexual assault.

Frustrations with the university administration were made clear by the students. One told the Washington Post, “At the end of the day, [the administration] is here to serve students, and students are showing up and protesting and saying this is not OK.”

SETTLERS, SCURVY, AND CEREMONY MARITHA LOUW

Believe it or not, Canadian Thanksgiving has a long, rich history that is not only distinct from the American tradition but actually dates back further. While the famous tale of Pilgrims and turkeys populates most North American traditions, few Canadians know of their own nation’s history with the holiday.

Indigenous Peoples in North America have the longest history of holding communal thanksgiving feasts in celebration of the fall harvest. Their celebrations include dances, rituals, and bountiful meals. The date of the first Thanksgiving in Canada held by Europeans is a contested point, but most historians can agree that when Sir Martin Frobisher sailed to Canada from England in 1578, his crew’s celebration of its safe ocean across the passage is the most likely story.

Frobisher’s expedition was plagued by ice and storms. When the weary group of explorers finally arrived safely in what was to become the territory of Nunavut, they celebrated Communion in thanks to God “for their strange and miraculous deliverance.”

The crew dined on a meal of salted beef, mushy peas, and biscuits.

Forty years later, Samuel de Champlain and other inhabitants of New France held huge feasts of thanksgiving between the French settlers and the local Mi’kmaq. It was this First Nations group who introduced the French to cranberries. Although not known at the time, the French’s consumption of cranberries helped them avoid the scurvy epidemic known to race through ships and settler communities alike. These feasts were more than an annual occurrence, instead offering festive meals every few weeks.

The Order of Good Cheer was founded as the supplier of these feasts, and, in working with the Mi’kmaq, was able to fend off

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the devastation that scurvy brought. Often these feasts would also coincide with explorers successfully returning from their expeditions.

Additionally, after the American Revolution (1775-1783), many American refugees who had remained loyal to Great Britain migrated to Canada, and with them brought their customary Thanksgiving foods of turkey, pumpkin, and squash. These foods were merged with the Canadian traditions of butter tarts, a variety of breads, and other seasonal vegetables.

The first national Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated in 1859. Protestant leaders wished for the holiday to be in recognition of God’s mercies. Historian Peter Stevens notes that some citizens objected to this request, seeing as it heavily blurred the line between Church and state that was so integral to Canada’s governance. Only in 1872 was Thanksgiving first celebrated as a national civic holiday rather than a religious one. Each year, the Canadian Parliament would determine the date on which the holiday would occur––most often, it was held in October.

Today, Thanksgiving remains an official statutory holiday in all provinces and territories, except Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Quebec celebrates the holiday, but to a much lesser extent than its western counterparts, given the holiday’s Protestant and Anglo-nationalist origins. Realistically speaking, the Thanksgiving meals served in Canada and the United States remain very similar. But the most unifying Thanksgiving experience is likely the post-dinner feeling of “Wow, I ate too much,” only to be followed by, “When’s dessert?”

Lack of transparency and swift action not only contributes to an atmosphere of distrust in the administration; it also perpetuates an unsafe environment. Just days after the incident at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, another student at the University of Kansas was arrested in connection with a rape that occurred in a dormitory on September 16.

These assaults occurring in the same place within mere days of each other is indicative of a larger problem. Over 26 percent of women and 6 percent of men in university experience sexual assault, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.

About 1 in 10 students who identify as women at Canadian postsecondary schools were sexually assaulted in 2019.

One woman at the University of Kansas protests remarked, “I don’t know anyone who hasn’t experienced it… These women know that they’re in this high-risk situation.”

And, nearly 50 percent of sexual violence on university campuses occur between August and November. This time period is known as “the red zone.” Women in their first year are particularly vulnerable because they are still learning the ropes of on-campus life and are unlikely to have a well-established support system.

“Lack of transparency and swift action not only contributes to an atmosphere of distrust in the administration, it also perpetuates an unsafe environment.”

As on-campus activities are resuming for the first time since early 2020, many worry that the risk of sexual assault will be higher than in previous years. Kenyora Parham, executive director of the advocacy group End Rape on Campus, says, “We’re entering what we’re calling the ‘double red zone’ this year.”

Across North America, across universities, these protests will not disappear until the problem of on-campus sexual assault is addressed by both men and women. A member of a different University of Kansas fraternity was protesting. According to him, “[t] here’s a lot of toxic campus culture, especially in fraternities, that encourages and allows hurting women. Instead of confronting the issue, all we’ve done is blame women.”

No community or campus is immune, even Christian campuses.

The findings of a study on sexual violence on religious campuses show that 18 percent of women at religious colleges reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact. It was also divulged that women on religious campuses are less likely to report sexual assaults due to the moral stigma surrounding sex in these communities.

There is no excuse for Christian colleges to be ignorant about the reality of sexual violence. The bottom line is students need to see their peers held accountable, even if they do not see the police or their university administration doing so.

ANOTHER CINDERELLA MOVIE? SOPHIE HOLLAND

Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers of the film Cinderella (2021) with Camilla Cabello.

There have been what seems like hundreds of retellings of “Cinderella” since Charles Perrault wrote the original fairytale in 1697. Many of us are familiar with the Disney animated adaptation (1950), followed by its live-action remake (2015). Some may have watched other various adaptations, like Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1965, 1997), Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998), Ella Enchanted (2004), Another Cinderella Story (2008), and some episodes of the ABC series Once Upon A Time (2011). There are countless other retellings––the list could go on and on.

On September 3, 2021, an all-new “Cinderella” film was added to the constantly growing collection, released digitally on Amazon Prime and in select theatres. The film, simply titled Cinderella, stars Camilla Cabello (making it known colloquially as “the Camilla Cabello Cinderella”). However, since the film’s release, viewers have not received it well. Many have described the film as uncomfortable, embarrassing, dumb, or just plain weird––and they are not wrong.

This was a film that I personally had high hopes for, but turned out to be a hazy hallucination.

“Personally, I do not think the world was in desperate need of another “Cinderella” retelling.”

For instance, the clip of James Corden as the footman transforming back into a mouse was purely horrifying. For a few seconds, this transformation included a disturbing image of a full-sized human head on a tiny mouse body, screaming and kicking its little legs in the air before the character became fully mouse again. Nevertheless, the scene left viewers petrified, much like the viewer response to the catastrophic 2019 movie Cats (which also included Corden––coincidence much?).

It is a flawed film in many aspects: the plot is not fully-fleshed out, and the film focuses more on aesthetics, musicality, costuming and production design.

While these elements are executed well, it is hard to grasp the central elements of the story such as continuity, logistics, and character development. Even the music received negative reactions from viewers. I do believe the audio producers may have undermined the vocal talents of some of the actors––as a hardcore Idina Menzel fan, I think she deserved more opportunities to shine throughout the film. As well, Billy Porter had the capacity to bring us a fabulous genderqueer take on the Fairy Godmother, but with such little screen time, how was he supposed to embody the character to his true potential?

Cinderella (2021) was also arguably a trainwreck when it came to promotion. On The Late Late Show with James Corden, Corden invited Cabello, Porter, and Menzel to guest star in a portion of the show known as “Crosswalk: The Musical,” a segment where Corden and various stars of an upcoming movie musical will dress up as discount versions of their respective characters and host a flash mob on a crosswalk.

While I am a huge fan of The Late Late Show and “Crosswalk,” the execution of the Cinderella promotional segment was particularly horrifying to some who watched. Many Twitter users commented on how horrifying it would be to be on your way to work and have James Corden walk up to your car doing suggestive dances in a rat costume.

As Camilla Cabello explains in the endless Spotify advertisements for the movie, “This Cinderella is different. She’s ambitious…” Obviously, Cabello is referring to how the producers aimed to create a more feminist take on the fairytale, depicting an aspiring fashion-designer heroine who is hardworking and not motivated by romance. Interestingly, this film was certainly “ambitious,” as the producers strived to add another “Cinderella” film adaptation––one that was uniquely theirs––to the already gigantic collection. What is disappointing is that these themes of Cinderella being a hardworking feminist are not as present as the promotions suggested they would be.

They also missed out on the chance to develop other characters, such as the stepsisters, who evidently presented many opportunities for a funny and engaging storyline.

Perhaps if it were not for the high-profile cast, Cinderella (2021) would not have even made it onto the screen. Camilla Cabello, Idina Menzel, James Corden and Billy Porter, among other well-known actors, brought popularity and interest to the film. However, even the casting choices have led fans to trash the movie. Some viewers were not entirely impressed with Camilla Cabello as Cinderella and others were frustrated to see James Corden in yet another recent movie musical.

“I agree that the movie is terrifying and unnecessary; however, I will admit from a place of deep embarrassment that I liked parts of it.”

The film features many things that are enjoyable in theory––music, dancing, a variety of characters, and a positive message––but the executions of these elements in practice just missed the mark. Personally, I do not think the world was in desperate need of another “Cinderella” retelling. But, it is important to remember that Cinderella (2021), according to Common Sense Media, is described as being best suited to viewers over the age of eight years. Perhaps viewers in this demographic would enjoy the film more than their older counterparts.

I agree that the movie is terrifying and unnecessary; however, I will admit from a place of deep embarrassment that I liked parts of it. The costume designs were fantastic, and the choreography was captivating, despite being set to some ridiculous renditions of pop culture songs. The story was, at some points, very uplifting and sweet. I would not say the film is garbage, but I will affirm that it is out of control. It is far below the standard of a great film, but sometimes, the world just needs a movie that is plain ridiculous, just so people can ironically enjoy it. Perhaps we do not need to read so deeply into it, and simply watch it just to have a laugh.

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LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: TALETTA MAKENA WARDLE

Mars’ Hill: When did you get your start as an artist?

Taletta: I started singing when I was twelve. I haven’t sung my whole life. You know how those people who are little kids, and they are singing when they are two years old? That wasn’t me. I had this karaoke machine, and I was singing and I was like, I think––I think I’m good! So then I ran to my brother and I was like: “Can you listen to this?” And he was like, “Yeah, you’re okay,” and then it just kind of went from there.

I was always hesitant to pursue music because I feel like so many people do. It is just kind of daunting, and it felt silly. I think I just had some people really speak into my life and call it out as a gift. And so I think that affirmation was like, okay, I’m gonna do it.

The name Taletta is actually from my great grandma. She was a wonderful lady, and she had MS (Multiple Sclerosis). She was in a hospital most of her life, and I always heard wonderful things about her and I would have loved to have met her. I saw her name, and I was like, I’ve never heard that before, so I thought it was really cool. I thought the legacy of her and having her name associated with me was really cool.

“I think that is the beauty of music for me. This album was really therapeutic, and it took me a long time to get out of that dark place. But I think when I did it just felt so good to look at this piece of work and say I was there, but I am not there anymore.”

MH: Where do you gather your inspiration from?

Taletta: I think what works best for me is writing from personal experience. And for some reason, sad experiences are easier for me to write from. I draw a lot of inspiration from bands that I listen to, like The Cure and the 90s soft rock underground scene like The Smashing Pumpkins [and] the Goo Goo Dolls. I also gain a lot of inspiration from modern artists like Bon Iver and Phoebe Bridgers. I also really loved the local band Peach Pit.

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I feel like there is a ton of inspiration from all over, especially when I find something new or a little bit different. I have been listening to this artist, Binky.

His stuff is really different, but I think that is what inspires me to write in a new way.

When I write, I go through [different] forms of writing. This album, Cruel Joke, was written at the start of the pandemic, and I had nothing to do, so it forced me to write every day. I wrote it all on an electric guitar, but before that, I had written on keys. It is just interesting how that changes.

MH: What is the story behind your song “Mars Hill Shirt”?

Taletta: So I was seeing someone and they had this Mars’ Hill shirt, and I thought it was super cool. I was like, that is a really cool shirt, especially like the design on the back and the figures and stuff.

I found out after it was specific to each Mars’ Hill newspaper that was that year. Sarah (Wright) had told me, the one who designed the shirt. So, for my birthday, I was like, “I would like to have your other shirt.” But obviously things ended and I didn’t get the shirt. I think the shirt symbolizes something that you hope for, but it is not going to come to fruition, and I think that is something that a lot of people can pinpoint in their lives. I remember sitting on my birthday hoping that this person would just reach out at least and remember, and they didn’t.

I think the music video came from that experience of disappointment on your birthday, or how you can be like in a room full of people and you are in the corner or you are like hoping that person comes. And then you are just so sad inside and so disappointed even though you have all these people around you that love you.

MH: What was the process like making the music video for that song?

Taletta: I have a friend and he has these friends who do videos, and they are very professional and they have all the equipment. They were like, “Taletta music video?” to him, and then he sent it to me and I was like, “Yes, 100 percent!” I am always looking for people to collaborate with, and I am not big––I do not have a lot of money. So finding people who are keen to actually just collaborate for the sake of art is really fun.

It was a really good experience, and the guys who did it are called TMPL Studio. They are really cool guys––it was a fun group.

MH: Do you have a favourite song that you have written?

Taletta: That is a hard one, because I feel like the singles before I had heard them so much, but I still love them. You go through phases of an artist where you are like, okay, I have listened to this one a million times, I am ready to move on. But I really love “We’re Just Strangers.” That is probably my

personal favourite on the album, because I like the changing dynamics of the song and how it can go from more of a lighter feeling, to dark and heavy in the chorus, and then at the end it gets really big.

So it is just like a fun song to play live.

“If I can help people to know they are not alone in their feelings, that is a cool experience for me.”

I also really liked the song “Discarded.” I think, lyrically, that one is probably one of my best. It is very sad, but it is interesting looking back at how I legitimately felt those things that I was singing at that time, like feeling like a piece of garbage––that is pretty intense. But coming out of it and listening to that I can go back and be like, oh man, that was a dark place and a very sad feeling––but also I am on the outside of it. Still being able to access that emotion is a weird concept.

I think that is the beauty of music for me. This album was really therapeutic, and it took me a long time to get out of that dark place. But I think when I did it just felt so good to look at this piece of work and say I was there, but I am not there anymore.

Hearing other artists and that they experience heartbreak and rejection gives me the courage to be okay with myself. If this person who I think is great, and I admire them can go through that, it makes you feel less alone. If I can help people to know they are not alone in their feelings, that is a cool experience for me.

MH: If you could open for any musician right now, who would it be?

Taletta: I love Phoebe [Bridgers], so I just selfishly just want to like, hang out with her and meet her.

But I think Bon Iver would be really cool to open for––his writing is insane. The 1975 would be cool too. Maybe Mac DeMarco. Honestly, I would take anyone at this point, because I feel like it is my dream to open for someone on tour.

MH: Are there any projects or shows coming up that we should know about?

Taletta: I have a show coming up on November 20 at The Railway. I am opening for another band. I also have vinyls coming out!

Follow Taletta at: @talettaaaa on Instagram, Twitter, and FB Music available on Spotify, Apple Music, and all major streaming platforms.

INSIDES OUT: A LIFE LIVED ONSTAGE (PART I) CHRISTA LYFORD

“If you’d have told me a year ago that I’d be locked inside of my home / I would have told you… interesting, now leave me alone.” The opening lines of Inside, Bo Burnham’s Netflix comedy special, set the tone for this very “2020” piece.

The first shot of Inside: Bo Burnham enters a small, dimly-lit room with only a chair, a keyboard, and a solitary window. Amid techno beats and a disheveled appearance, he speak-sings his way through the opening number. His lyrics are filtered through aggressive autotune, a sarcastic edge applied to his singing of: “Sorry that I look like a mess / I booked a haircut but it got rescheduled.” Burnham lifts his head and illuminates a disco ball hanging from the ceiling—a burst of dazzling lights on the bare walls paired with soaring vocals: “But look, I made you some content,” he sings. “It’s a beautiful day to stay inside.”

Netflix describes Burnham’s Inside as “a musical comedy special shot and performed by Bo Burnham, alone, over the course of a very unusual year.” The special both celebrates and condemns what our world has become—all the while portraying Burnham’s complex relationship with being a performer. His lyrics dance gleefully on the knife’s edge of societal satire, snarky commentary, and genuine introspection.

In two acts, Inside tackles the wonders of technology with numbers like “FaceTime with my Mom (Tonight),” “White Woman’s Instagram,” and “Sexting.” The second act, however, is a deep dive into Burnham’s own psyche and existential dread. When the credits roll, you will feel like you have gotten an uncomfortably good look into this man’s head—almost enough to forget the silly songs the special started off with. All without leaving the comfort of his room.

“Without theatres or audiences, Burnham is left with only himself. The result is a collection of songs and monologues, compiled in the one-man-show that is Inside.”

Inside netted Burnham a total of six Emmy nominations and three Emmy awards, with his work being championed by audiences and critics alike.

Not bad for a kid who got his start on YouTube. In 2006, the infancy of the video service, Bo Burnham became a viral hit with his combination of silly lyrics and jaunty keyboard songs. In 2013, he first alluded to his tumultuous relationship with digital fame in his standup special, what.

That same tension features in his 2016 stand-up special, Make Happy— which features a more polished presentation, and doubles down on the vulnerability.

He mimes how to make a peanut butter sandwich while high on marijuana, ridicules the public for deifying pop stars, and ends the show by rambling about his problems in autotune (a tribute to Kanye West). But again, the finale brings out Burnham’s real gripe with his audience. “The truth is, my biggest problem is you” he sings, “A part of me loves you, part of me hates you / Part of me needs you, part of me fears you.” Fans of Burnham’s content know that their feelings of admiration towards him are not reciprocated—yet he openly confesses that he does not know what he would do without their attention. Enter, 2020 lockdown.

Without theatres or audiences, Burnham is left with only himself. The result is a collection of songs and monologues, compiled in the one-manshow that is Inside. We expect the usual laughs and occasional introspection, yet every segment of Inside is infused with meaning beyond the usual comedy bits. For instance, “White Woman’s Instagram” can be seen as a satire of millennial social media clichés: photos of salads, tiny pumpkins, and misattributed inspirational quotes abound, but out of nowhere, a contemplative post about the hypothetical white woman’s deceased mother makes us pause the laughter. Is this a parody? Or is it a subversive, touching tribute to the pieces of our lives that we memorialize in the digital sphere?

“Problematic” has Burnham bemoaning his past mistakes made as a teenager on the internet, begging the public to still accept him despite his flaws. But the way he sings “and I’m really f—––– sorry” while silhouetted by the outline of a cross seems anything but genuine. Is he mocking how the internet will “crucify” you for your missteps? Is it an apology?

A deconstruction of an apology? We don’t have time to mull on it, because now he is having a crisis about turning thirty in “30,” where he stands in his underwear, singing,“It’s 2020, and I’m 30, I’ll do another ten / 2030, I’ll be 40 and kill myself then.”

THE

POP CULT

SOUR AND SCREAM QUEENS: OLIVIA RODRIGO’S REVENGE-RAGE-FANTASY CARTER SAWATZKY In an era where dramas like Squid Game have captured our cultural imagination, it is unsurprising that artists are utilizing the lens and language of violence to express themselves. It is no wonder, then, that Olivia Rodrigo has come to reinvigorate the breakup-pop album formula with her debut, SOUR––a whirlwind revenge-rage-fantasy.

When she exclaims in the opening track “where’s my f------ teenage dream?” her vigilante mission against her ex has only just begun: she will not be content without a victim for her lover’s crimes.

The lyrics only tell half the story though.

Rodrigo’s visuals tap into something much darker. In a strange turn for the most recent iteration of the Disney-kid-turned-pop-star, Rodrigo has gravitated towards iconic horror moments of female fury to represent her journey through the stages of grief. By harnessing the power of these notorious scream-queens, Rodrigo takes her power back and empowers her own message in music. Originality is out, references are in.

In Rodrigo’s music video for “deja vu,” her ex’s new girlfriend is shown to be an eerie doppelgänger––just like the body doubles in Jordan Peele’s 2019 film Us. The video’s plot complicates the cliched love triangle trope: instead of fighting over the man, Rodrigo’s gaze is murderously fixated on the other girl to the point of almost sapphic obsession. Rodrigo surveilles the new girlfriend’s every move, mimics all her outfits, and copies all her hairstyles. The music video’s ambiguous ending seems to reveal a merging of their two identities or, more likely, a killing of the other, as in Us. In the promo and visuals for her concert film, “SOUR prom,” Rodrigo emulates the 1976 film Carrie as the tearful-yet-deadly prom wrecker––Rodrigo’s distraught prom queen aesthetic is intentional. In the 1976 movie, Carrie is unpopular and frequently bullied at school: for a prank, she is rigged to win the prom queen title, and is doused in a bucket of pig’s blood in front of the entire school. Carrie then hallucinates that everyone is mocking her, and in a swift outburst, telekinetically closes all the exits from the gym and sets it aflame, killing nearly all of the attendees. In “SOUR prom,” Rodrigo deliberately aligns herself with Carrie to express her rage fantasy––if she cannot get what she wants, then no one can.

Rodrigo’s “good 4 u” music video is littered with references to 1999 Japanese horror film, Audition, and the 2009 movie Jen-

nifer’s Body. The memorable black latex gloves that Rodrigo dons in the video is a nod to the most famous scene of Audition where the femme fatale character, Asami, wears the same long gloves to torture her lover with needles. In “good 4 u,” she channels Megan Fox’s acting from Jennifer’s Body as the beautiful cheerleader turned demon man-eater. Sinister themes emerge in the video as Rodrigo adorns her locker with an x’d out picture of a boy, buys a gallon of gasoline with her long latex gloves, and grins into a gas station surveillance camera as if possessed. By the last chorus of the song, she has flooded her ex’s room and set it ablaze with fire. Rodrigo mostly clearly echoes Jennifer’s Body in the final frames by swimming away from the crime scene, her eyes gleaming red, smiling with all her teeth in the murky, black water.

“In a strange turn for the most recent iteration of the Disney-kid-turnedpop-star, Rodrigo has gravitated towards iconic horror moments of female fury to represent her journey through the stages of grief.”

In a world where girls and women are customarily deterred from even recognizing their own anger, much less communicating their negative feelings, Rodrigo is legitimizing female anger––along with the whole spectrum of emotions––to be a valid form of artistic expression.

Now, if only I can figure out which cult horror references are hiding in her “drivers license” music video…

Lockdown is giving this version of Burnham no escape from the fears of aging, as well as the delicate matter of existing in the first place. The comedy begins to wear thin, and the veil covering the existential dread beyond begins to unravel. Part I ends. Intermission begins.

To be continued in the next issue.

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T

he People’s Temple Full Gospel Church, one of the most notorious and well-known cults, came to a tragic end with the massacre at Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978. The cult’s leader, Jim Jones, perpetrated a “revolutionary suicide” in which 909 members of the cult drank a mixture of chemicals including cyanide, diazepam, promethazine, chloral hydrate, and, most interestingly, Flavor Aid––a grape-flavoured beverage similar to Kool-Aid. The phrase “drink the Kool-Aid” became a popular term for blind obedience in the wake of the massacre, as the Temple members had willingly accepted cups of fruity poison based on Jones’ direction.

We have recently seen various portrayals of cults in popular culture in movies like Midsommar, documentaries like Wild Wild Country, Holy Hell, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, and Q: Into The Storm. Only in the latter part of the 20th century have cults and conspiracy theories taken off in the cultural zeitgeist. The ability of cults to draw in members with utopian visions and seductive offers of community continue to be fascinating cautionary tales for Hollywood and beyond.

Cults seem to say, “Give up control! Let go of your responsibility!

Submit to a greater power!” It is easy to find solidarity with people who would rather live in a utopia than engage with reality. The recent cultural obsession with cults has impacted both those within mainstream religion, and outside of it. But for all those within, these cult disasters––reality and fantasy––can serve as warnings about the risks of extremism lurking in the shadows of our faith.

There is no cut and dry, black-and-white definition of what a cult is.

The word itself has a sinister connotation, one associated with ee-

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As mentioned before, members are attracted to cults when they face a crossroads in their life. Perhaps they are in a long spell of unemployment, are experiencing grief, have left their mainstream religion, or are in search of meaning and a new sense of purpose. Every person is vulnerable to indoctrination and radicalization. People who join cults are not dumb, but often are just disconnected, poor, or disenfranchised.

Former cult member Dawn Smith says: “The Assembly targeted college-aged kids, vulnerable because they’re on their own for the first time, and they’re looking for a community––a place where they can connect with other people.” This may seem surprising or not, but women and nonbinary folks are more susceptible to the draw of a cult. Data collected by Pew Research Center suggests that in general, women tend to be somewhat more religious than men, and are therefore more likely to seek out alternative sources of spirituality, community, and connection.

Due to its patriarchal founding and practice, men by default are more likely to enjoy their place in the community of mainstream religion, and therefore have little desire to seek spirituality and comfort in groups across the cultish spectrum. The gender dynamics of cults, usually based on strong male leadership and a large number of female followers, likely mirrors our cultural power structures that are based in patriarchy.

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rie supernatural beliefs and isolation by deception. Sociologists and theologians alike have studied cults and often explain them as a social group “defined by its unusual, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or by its common interest in a particular personality, object or goal.” The key word here is unusual. Religions are also categorized by certain beliefs or interests––the difference is that cults stray beyond the normal beliefs and practices associated with religion. For centuries, mainstream religions have experienced splinters and branches into different sides of the same coin.

Psychologist Dr. Steve Eichel explains that there are three primary identifiers in a cult. First, the cult is led by a charismatic but authoritarian leader. The leader either preaches on behalf of a deity, or says that they are the deity incarnate and demands to be worshipped as such.

Second, cult members are subject to some form of “thought reform” or mind control, which extends beyond the indoctrination process but becomes ingrained in their daily lives. Finally, followers of that charismatic leader face some type of financial burden. This can come in the form of regular tithing, or as part of the indoctrination process in which members are asked to donate their entire fortunes to the cause, demonstrating their full devotion to the cult and its leader.

Members are not drawn to cults out of the blue. Unless they are born into the community, members are captivated by the promise of belonging, in order to satisfy their desperation for a strong community.

The community offered by a cult soon becomes a potent addiction.

Indoctrination into a cult is not a quick process, however. Most sociologists agree that there are generally seven identifiable steps taken before a member can be welcomed into the cult fully.

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The next step is the “soft-sell.” The first interaction with a member of a cult’s leadership is crucial––from here, leaders encourage you to come back to more meetings, more gatherings. The feeling of calm and understanding they present at the outset is promised as a guarantee with lifelong membership.

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From there, it is easy for leaders to keep members in a closed environment to “protect” them from the influences of the world. A new reality is established wherein the cult environment and its community are the only known factors, and members become enveloped in that system. It is the cult leaders who demand that members be cut off from the world, whether technologically, physically, or both. Writer Tara Isabella Burton explains in Aeon, “I’ve been to compounds, home churches, and private churches where children are taught to obey community leaders so unquestioningly that they have no contact with the outside world.”

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Enter: the Leader. The leader of any cult is regarded as the only person on earth who can take you on the right path towards peace, harmony, salvation, joy, etc. Everyone else in the world is wrong; every other religion is a mistake. This Leader is the only thing worth investing in and following.

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The combination of this closed-off reality and hero-worshiping culminates in the creation of an external enemy. They maintain the belief that bad things will happen if you are to leave because the outside world is a dangerous place. New members lose confidence in their own ability to reason for themselves, and, as such, continue to depend even more fully on their community and its leaders to provide stability and logic.

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As their dependency on community grows, peer pressure becomes even stronger. Humans have a fundamental desire to be a part of a group. New members find meaning in the rituals, symbols, and in their greater purpose together. They think “everyone else worships the Leader, therefore, I must too. I want to be part of the many, I do not want to feel separated and disenfranchised again.”

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And finally, the Leader––often a sociopathic narcissist––sinks their talons even further into the minds of their followers. The members are the essential piece to the message, the cause, the community. Usually, this power is shown through means of abuse. In order to instill fear of questioning the cult’s law and leadership, different forms of abuse are cleverly disguised as punishment.

T

he proce lasting l cate themsel that their lea are inconsist es, allowing spective. It is there is also are not beha communicat to talk to or e must leave th

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ess of indoctrination is incredibly thorough; it leaves a legacy on members, even those who manage to extrilves from the cult’s grasp. Some members realize either ader is hypocritical, or that their message and actions tent. Others leave after their contracted reality collapsthem to see the world from an entirely different pers common for cult members to leave on their own, but a process of excommunication for those members who aving in accordance with the leader’s vision. Once exted from a cult, former members are often not allowed even associate with the members still on the inside: they heir entire life behind.

g a cult, former members are forced to face a new reind control they have been under for a large portion cases, all) of their lives is lifted, and they can think for again. But this also means deconstructing their beliefs ight and wrong, learning how to use their own reason, g their own conscience. This is not a smooth transition, rmer members struggle to reintegrate themselves back eam culture.

incredibly strong and legitimate connection between religion and cults. Historian J. Gordon Melton from Bayty states: “Groups that have approved, “orthodox” bensidered legitimate, while groups whose interpretation ext differs from established norms are delegitimized on one.” Institutionalized churches may be hasty to define ations as cults because they see them either as a bad ed by evil people, or a bad religion led by evil people.

t, both Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of the Latter were considered to be cults, and, in 2020, Pew Research nd that they boasted membership upward of 19 miled. At their outset, most churches (including Christian ere labelled as heretical and chaotic. Christianity itself or schism during the Reformation when Martin Luther rotestant movement. A reporter from the Baltimore Sun at “the real difference between a cult and a religion: years. Once a cult is able to establish itself for several , we call it a “religion.” Before that, we dismiss it as a hreat to real religion.”

, or extremist practices are not necessarily proper markarating cults and mainstream religion. By comparison, was founded and spread by charismatic leaders, often tics like love-bombing and groupthink to draw people them in obedience, and also imposes some form of figation on its congregants. Not to mention the instances tionships of abuse between spiritual leaders and memcongregation. One common difference between cults n is the factor of fear. In both cults and religions, fear part in managing the behaviour and actions of memcults, the restrictions on behaviour and fear of consee much more extreme.

mic of social isolation has become even more of a crisis COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns. The e have now is whether loneliness drives people towards

cults. Lockdowns and quarantines have certainly offered plenty of opportunities for misinformation, cults, and conspiracies to grab hold. Additionally, the modernization of the 21st century results in fewer people identifying with organized religion.

Certain kinds of evangelical Christians are at greater risk of being drawn into conspiracy theories. According to scholar Brian Keeley, Christians who promulgate an uncritical, literal reading of the Bible are more vulnerable. Their belief in being elect or having special revelation endows a belief to the exceptional knowledge that is understood only by chosen people; their own faith foundation makes them susceptible to conspiratorial narratives. Some Christians also believe evil is ubiquitous and always scheming in grand orchestrated ways toward a teleological finale––metanarratives like that of QAnon become perfect traps for this way of thinking.

As people become increasingly disaffected and alienated from what they perceive as mainstream culture, the appeal of alternative online communities becomes stronger. The internet and social media has allowed for the definition of community to be extended beyond geographical boundaries. As such, cults no longer gather in temples, caves, fields, or compounds necessarily, but can also gather online. As Dame Magazine reports, “Nowadays, the word ‘cult’ can apply to basically anything from a fringe-y church to a group of online radicals to a fitness company (e.g. Peloton), a popular beauty brand (e.g. Goop), or health craze (e.g. celery juice).” An increasingly desperate population combined with the provision of polarizing comments and accounts on social media lead to the dissemination of information at an incredibly quick pace and with a large scope.

The lure of the Kool-Aid is more and more decentralized. Without appropriate media literacy, the internet has us exposed to insidious forms of cultish and conspiratorial Kool-Aid.

The promises of a strong sense of community and belonging in a larger resistance movement has driven many Americans to QAnon, a far-right conspiracy movement centred on false claims made by an anonymous individual known only by the name “Q.” This group has been described as a cult with roots in antisemitism and Nazism.

Once a fringe phenomenon, the group’s core message has apparently struck a chord with many Americans, and even some Canadians as well: they believe that “a group of Satan-worshiping elites who run a child sex ring are trying to control the politics and media.” Members’ willingness to dismiss their own individuality for the supposed greater good is only one of the signs that this movement can be classified as a cult. Members will cut ties with their families and friends who do not share their cause. Members truly believe that their mission to fight against the secret cabal of elites will improve society, and often their merchandise includes slogans such as “Where we go one, we go all,” reflecting their communal commitment to the belief system. The biggest difference, however, is the anonymity of the leader ‘Q.’ According to believers, if Q says something it must be true. For example, Q’s conspiracies predict that a storm is coming, one that will vanquish the global elites in an end-times scenario rivalling that of many mainstream religions. And when their reported “doomsday” does not come to fruition, they will merely shift their narrative to a different purpose––one that could be more extreme, more deceptive, more delusional. As cults and conspiracy evolve in form it is vital that we keep community to prevent each other from “drinking the Kool-Aid.”

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AUGUST WAS A FEVER DREAM ANNA MARIE ELENA

I’m at the barn; it’s late July. They are castrating the pigs, about seven weeks too late. I’m feeling the summer blues, so I go “to watch,” but I don’t like watching, so I wander around and look at stuff. The piles of broken pots and the desolate greenhouse, the old walls from our childhood kitchen, saved for some rainy day project. The dry garden nibbled brown and dry by the sheep. It is a little smoky out, a little humid too, which is always an odd juxtaposition with the drought and desert across the fields we couldn’t cut for hay this year. Back toward home is green, more water, wrung out of every possible crevice of the creek and well to keep us feeling any trace of life. I don’t know why I thought coming up here would help, this godforsaken part of the ranch where junk and broken plans come to collect and rot and go back to the earth which gave it forth to begin with.

Down by the house, I walk by pots of vegetables, I squeeze the leaves of the tomato plant and breathe deep. Something about this smell makes me feel better. I tear a lower leaf to take with me— part of me thinks I shouldn’t because doesn’t that make it more susceptible to disease? I do it anyway because here everything is more susceptible to disease. You can see it already, the rust creeping on the edges of the leaves. It doesn’t matter because the leaf doesn’t smell the same as the whole bush.

That summer there were no tissues. There were always tissues in the house, one in the kitchen, one in the living room, at least two somewhere in the middle on a side table or shelf. Almost too many tissues. But that summer there were none. I knew there were new boxes in the closet with the cleaning stuff, but for all of May, June, and July when I needed a tissue I’d walk to the bathroom and get some toilet paper. I don’t know why that day I decided to get a box from the cupboard. It wasn’t a particularly irksome runny nose, I just figured it was time. There were also always flies, and the fan was always running. Constant noise and irritation.

No wonder we always snapped at each other on the hot afternoons when our tasks were done and we lost purpose and became restless and irked by all of the little things: the flies, the constant whir of the fan, the lack of tissues.

Some afternoons you’d have to spend in battle to decrease the fly population, stand guard with a fly swatter or magazine, kill tens or twenties of flies and still see ten and twenty more latched to the

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screen, sucking at the glass sliders. Outside was better, but they insisted on coming inside, like how we insist on watching bad reality TV. One of those hot afternoons, when the day felt eternal and meaningless in an apathetic way, the machine gun sprinkler went on the fritz. It turned off suddenly, then back on, then off, and back on. I imagined it was playing a game of hide-and-seek but didn’t know it was playing alone.

“Some afternoons you’d have to spend in battle to decrease the fly population, stand guard with a fly swatter or magazine, kill tens or twenties of flies and still see ten and twenty more latched to the screen, sucking at the glass sliders.

Outside was better, but they insisted on coming inside, like how we insist on watching bad reality TV.” The golden evening light filtered through the overgrown bushes in speckled glory onto the white porch pillars with peeling paint. The way they stood so strong and sure, despite a century of weather and aging, was beautiful in a nostalgic and camp way. It almost made you forget that the colour of light at this hour was caused by the fires burning, the homes lost, the people displaced and crying out at the screen with the virtual community meetings telling them nothing and everything all at the same time. Telling them they could nei-

ther confirm nor deny the number of homes lost, the cause of the fire, the expected containment; telling them they were doing their best, throwing everything they had at the fire, that this fire was a freak of nature and we better all just buckle in for the long haul.

The thing about August is, I’m so f—–– raw on the inside I think I might start to spontaneously ooze. I wonder what it would look like. Maybe like strawberry jelly, sticky and gloppy and tinged an artificial pinkish-red that no one ever sees in real life.

Because what’s inside us should never be seen in real life. That’s why feelings are invisible, and tears are clear, and so many learn to cry silent. That’s why time oozes by on these hot, aimless, meaningless August days. Because our feelings don’t really ooze, so trees and time and wounds and the sides of an over-full peanut butter jelly do it for us.

I walk down the road and all I can smell is dry. It’s dusty and chalky and warm and sweet, sagebrush mixed with broken rocks and dehydrated earth. I get the sudden impulse to shove my hand into the side of the road, but I don’t. When I get home I make the mental note to do it later because my hands are feeling the absence of being surrounded by dry, dead earth. It’s a weird craving, as if bonding my barely living self with the clearly dead earth will help me, cathartically fix my oozing insides, cake over the strawberry jelly sore spots with powdery dust, turn into a rose-coloured scab, flake off and return to the dead earth while I go on living.

I shove my hand into the dry dirt, it crackles and crinkles and dissipates into dust. I pull and twist until the goathead comes free. A particularly nasty little weed that plagues the dry arid land of the High Sierra desert. They are good at surviving, each plant has octopus arms, and each arm has countless heads, and each head breaks into three or four or five pieces, poky and sharp, ready to lodge itself in your shoe or deep in the earth and make more poky, sharp goathead babies.

I guess what I’m trying to say is the drought is real, fires are real, and no one has any answers for you because the things that get the most airtime aren’t real.

NOT GOD, BUT LIFE. SAM ROSENAU

Tumble out the ether, my blank verse Wild jungle out the speaker, rare earths Every rebbe wonder, will his golem work?

Every golem wonder if they was the first.

The words of the hip-hop duo Armand Hammer, comprised of Billy Woods and ELUCID, from their song “Charms.”

Have those moments come to you yet? The moment your fingers feel extra-present in your hands; the moment your eyes sink markedly in their sockets; the moment an element of the natural world becomes utterly foreign. How the ocean can transform from a familiar body of water into an incomprehensible entity. When its ecological categories become irrelevant, and all that is left is one large omnipotent force. And while it swells and crests towards you and back again into itself, you remain motionless and abounding with questions.

“I have only fully realized life’s ability to teach since being outside of the academic realm.”

This is mystery crashing down on you with a wave and a thunderclap. This is existentialism.

But this article does not intend to be a regurgitation of Camusian absurdism or a reincarnation of Sartre. We are not discussing the idea of an experience, and we are not tying European names to an experience. This is an attempt at a balanced phenomenology, a dive into qualia, an embrace of mystery, and what happens when Life reveals itself to you. I want to posit an existentialism that is characterized by sensory experience, but not aligned with empiricism. An existentialism that is defined by revelation and enigma, and the ability to learn through the inexplicable, Delphic, ontological force of Life.

I have only fully realized life’s ability to teach since being outside of the academic realm. I was formerly and incorrectly of the mindset that engaging in traditional and explicit forms of study was the only legitimate path to knowledge, and other, more free-form “Walden-esque” methods were “nice” and “contemplative,” but analogous to time-wasting. It was thanks to my intellectual stagnation and my anemic ideologicalism that led me to accept life’s revelatory capacity.

For me, I call it revelation, because that is simply how it feels. Like a curtain that was drawn uncovering what was hitherto unknown, or being let in on a secret that you are now ready to hear. It is life revealing knowledge to you. When music pulses through your blood, when art grips you by the jaw, when trees console you. That is life revealing itself to you. And perhaps you will feel an overwhelming drive to write it down, to formulate it, to cohere it. And perhaps I can suggest that you do not. Enough energy is spent formulating our own

ideas and realizing them in essay form. These moments actually require the opposite action to take place. You must instead allow life to write an essay in you. It is a moment of embodied intellectualism.

It is the thin place where ideas and experience become one.

“Like a curtain that was drawn uncovering what was hitherto unknown, or being let in on a secret that you are now ready to hear. It is life revealing knowledge to you.”

The aforementioned hip-hop duo Armand Hammer taught me this when one of their songs wrote an essay in me. I was in the shower listening to their song “Charms,” and I heard this line: “Ay, n——a, I was given this world, I didn’t make it, this a crazy place.” Which on the surface is not a particularly profound composition of words, but in that moment upon listening, the whole of my intellectual pursuits, the whole of my existentialism, came to fulfillment. It seared my skin. It punched me in the face. And that was life writing an essay in me.

ALT-RIGHT TO ALRIGHT BRAEDON GROVER SUNNES Polarization is an inevitable part of self-catered algorithms—it is at the forefront of the minds of young white men as they are led into the dark memes, misogyny, and extremism of their For You pages and timelines. While it is useful that the device we carry on ourselves 24/7 can help us control and schedule nearly every aspect of our lives, there was a point when helping us became predicting what we would ask for without us ever even knowing. While on a website like Facebook it might make sense that your friends and mutuals decide what your feed looks like, there has been a peculiar development on a lot of our media platforms concerning what people call the alt-right pipeline.

The alt-right pipeline is a phenomenon on many social media sites, but is most prevalent on video sites like TikTok or YouTube. In it, viewers––usually teenage boys or young adult men––are sucked into an algorithm which subsequently alters their political views and beliefs as they mature. They look up to these funny and relatable content creators as role models and mentors. While it may start as innocent as middle-school boys watching Smosh or Tobuscus, it can easily and gradually turn into videos where conservative extremists discuss racial hierarchies. One account recorded by Luke Munn shares how user Faraday Speaks went from seeking out self-help videos to being fed “openly white supremacist figures such as Jared Taylor” through the step-by-step progression of the altright pipeline.

But why should we care? If someone watches a video that discusses racial differences or the societal role of men over women and agrees with it, is that not their belief? The biggest critique of the YouTube algorithm, specifically in regards to its effect on young white men, is that it preys on their naivety as it hops from a funny skit to a politically-charged rant to problematic propaganda. While having different opinions is one thing, the algorithmic bias that actively exposes young minds to harshly racist, sexist, homophobic, and transpho-

bic material (that is often ill-cited, mind you) is a detriment to the development of the white male populace in Western European society. But what I want to talk about most is what creators with a large platform are doing against the alt-right pipeline.

“The biggest critique of the YouTube algorithm, specifically in regards to its effect on young white men, is that it preys on their naivety as it hops from a funny skit to a politically-charged rant to problematic propaganda.”

Popular names in the borderline alt-right community are channels like iDubbzTV, h3h3, and Pewdiepie. For a long time these three channels attracted a large number of right-leaning viewers due to their humour being what the alt-right sought out: edgy, dark, and making fun of social justice warriors (SJWs). These flagships of the “edgy kid” armada on social platforms were a place for all kinds of viewers and political views, and they were not afraid to get cancelled and never leaned away from being offensive for a good laugh. But there was a shift.

While I do not have time to speak on all three of these channels, I stand by the opinion that these creators shifted their content away from alt-right

pleasing, not because they were coerced by mainstream media, but rather because they realized that their channels would have to choose between the left or the right side of the media. While they had coasted the centre of the aisle for so long, it was becoming a problem as their fanbase turned toxic and began to accumulate a large white-supremacist thread. h3h3, run by American comedian Ethan Klein and American designer Hila Klein, is still in the throes of shifting its content and overall tone to this day.

Even as recently as May of 2019, h3h3 posted to its main channel a video called “Instagram vs.

Reality,” where Ethan went on one of his classic tangents about Instagram models and how their pictures are so fake. This sparked a controversy between him and Influencer Trisha Paytas, one of the models mentioned in his video. Through many months of back and forth between the two, where Ethan and h3h3 showed a difference from what their channel was in 2016 where every other video made fun of SJWs getting triggered, Ethan and Trisha started a dialogue together. This dialogue led to the wildly popular 40-episode podcast “Frenemies,” where these two strangers became close friends and colleagues. Rather than keeping the conflict and silencing Trisha with his platform, Ethan listened and changed.

Ethan still makes edgy jokes, and even makes fun of the occasional Karen, but the channel that was once used as a step in the alt-right pipeline’s journey to white supremacy has now pulled itself out and taken the time to reevaluate its morals and values. This type of change is what can help young, developing men to escape the cycle of hate-mongering on YouTube, and it can be seen in many other types of media or platforms as well. Again, it is not a problem that there is a wide range of views on the internet (that is inevitable); it is a problem if our algorithms keep us from hearing from someone different than us.

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VAN GOGH, THEATRE, AND TWU DR. CRAIG BROYLES

I went with my family to the “Imagine Van Gogh” exhibition in Vancouver (my wife’s idea). At least on Monday morning I could impress my colleagues with how cultured I am. The website describes it as “immersive.” Sounds Baptist to me, so it must be safe. But it’s also described as “without center or periphery” (i.e., unframed). Hmm, so maybe not Baptist, or Southern Baptist at least, who are very clear on boundaries. In any case, I went along.

I first encounter displays narrating Vincent’s biography. His father was a minister. He enrolled in seminary and became a lay preacher. He failed at both. All news to me. I already knew of his struggles with depression and poverty. On one occasion he approached a creditor with a wheelbarrow filled with his paintings to pay a debt. He turned Vincent away. His wife reputedly said, “You could at least have kept the wheelbarrow!”

I enter the theatre. It’s filled with visuals of art and the audio of beautiful music. A shock to the senses for this would-be engineer-turned-biblical-scholar. I see poppies and peasants, not as accurate photographs, but interpreted with bold strokes of a brush with striking colors. I’m mesmerized. Hold on, what’s happening to me? Why are my feet moving? They couldn’t be dancing now! (My wife is still in disbelief.) I’m feeling feelings. Joy and a

celebration of beauty. Sad eyes and melancholy.

Why am I thinking in short sentences? Am I getting poetic? Tears. Get a grip, man, you’re losing your self-control (a fruit of the Spirit, no less). Did someone slip drugs into my burrito? Wait, I get it, it’s the simultaneity of visual and audio stimuli messing with my brain. Or is this what art feels like? I realize I’m experiencing a side of me I rarely meet. My right brain, my soul, or both? I’m transfixed by the Transcendent. How does God see us? Simultaneously with music and art?

I wonder, what would TWU do with a student like Vincent? Would we see a problem student or person in pain? Would we show empathy for his trauma, that is, without an email from the Director of Accessible Learning? Would we see his genius, even if he failed all his courses? And that his gift would outlive his short life? As did balladeer Don McLean, who sings of “Vincent” as “beautiful” “with eyes that know the darkness in my soul.”

Don’t worry, the intense feelings have dissipated.

I’m back to my analytical self. But I’m changed. Sorry, transformed (to use TWU language). With new eyes I return to my familiar Old Testament. Now I see that the living God chose to reveal himself, not via theological propositions, but via the theatre of biblical narrative and the opera of prophetic poet-

ry and psalmic liturgy. Biblical authority impresses us, not by decree, but by inviting us to view the world through a divine lens. Ah, thank you, Lord.

Hmm, so I guess biblical scholars need artists.

Who better to embody the creativity of humanity made in God’s image? I have personally witnessed Theatre thriving at TWU under three presidents (the last of whom eliminated TWU’s substantial debt). Theatre is the singular event where students, staff, faculty, alumni, parents, and View Day students gather in one room. Generations of one TWU community together. But now Admin and the IPP (Institutional Program Prioritization, but whose priorities?) have decreed its swan song. Not only for the theatre program but also for my own departmental major in religious studies (which costs the university nothing) and three other program majors. Not by faculty consensus (despite claims to the contrary). Nevertheless, “program expenditures relative to tuition fees” were prioritized over TWU’s mission and core values. Appealing to cents without sense.

In the end, I console myself. At least Trinity Western kept the wheelbarrow.

Craig Broyles Faculty member since 1985

A LIBERAL ARTS UNIVERSITY? KYLE PENNER

I was attending one of my many, sparsely-populated philosophy classes earlier in the week and a candid conversation was had between us about the state of the philosophy program at Trinity Western University (TWU). A class that was once routinely filled with around one hundred students, this semester, has only fourteen; I was the only one who enrolled in the upper level class focused on the work of Immanuel Kant (dry stuff, I know, but one of the most influential thinkers of modernity).

Upper level philosophy classes in general have not been among the most popular classes offered, but in my experience the average is around seven students—I thought there must have been some kind of mistake when, last year, I was put on a waitlist upon applying for the Philosophy of Aesthetics class. One benefit of being a philosophy major is that there is no pressure to punctually apply for classes. Philosophy is an atrophying program at TWU, a troubling reality at a liberal arts university.

“TWU may be in its twilight hour as a liberal arts university— the sunset awaits.”

Philosophy is not the only program in decline at TWU, just the one that I can personally attest to.

Another, of course, is the now amputated theatre department that I am sure you are all rather sick of reading about at this point. What the slow decay of the arts and humanities at TWU has me wondering is, at what point does “Liberal Arts University” become a misnomer?

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Poking around on the TWU website led me to a page entitled “Why Liberal Arts.” It reads: “At Trinity Western University, you will engage in a Liberal Arts education. Through broad, interdisciplinary inquiry, you will explore different ways of knowing about the world – preparing for a life of active engagement in your community and profession.”

From my perspective, the capacity for “broad, interdisciplinary inquiry” is under pressure; the number of programs that can be axed before they have to rewrite this blurb is a finite number. TWU may be in its twilight hour as a liberal arts university—the sunset awaits.

This is not another article about why the leadership at the university ought to rethink its strategy regarding the “sunsetting” of programs, however (though, I think that they should). To be glib for a moment, they would not have shut the theatre program down if it brought in the same number of students as, say, the business program. Likewise, if it becomes the status quo that philosophy classes are solitary endeavours, my program will probably see its final days as well. What I am trying to get at is that if nobody wants a liberal arts education, then it seems likely that TWU will stop providing one.

I, however, do want a liberal arts education; that is, in part, why I find the opportunities afforded me by this institution worth the price of admission. A well-rounded education is, I believe, invaluable to one’s ability to participate meaningfully in the world. A purely singular study stales, and is unable to cope with the ever-diversifying array of experiences that await us. The broad focus of a liberal arts education is a salve for the unitary mindsets that are becoming dominant: we need more not less.

I am always a little saddened when I hear the “liberal arts core” being derided, and feel guilty because I, too, often participate. The common consensus, at least as it is colloquially spoken, is that the core classes are merely one more impediment to one’s graduation—the core is certainly not often viewed as the major selling point, central to the education that you are receiving, that it is. The central idea of liberal arts education is its broad scope. Its goal is to produce well-rounded individuals through diverse learning opportunities. Those lab science credits are an opportunity for expansion, not an unfortunate diversion.

“The broad focus of a liberal arts education is a salve for the unitary mindsets that are becoming dominant; we need more not less.”

I suppose my purpose here is to provide a brief apologetic for liberal arts education. One of the most important aspects of learning here at TWU is, rightly, the opportunity to learn from a variety of perspectives and through multiple modalities. A one-dimensional education cannot properly prepare you for a multi-dimensional world. If a liberal arts education is valuable to you, start acting like it—or do not be surprised if the benefits that are coincident with it continue to disappear.

What is your major, year, and hometown?

I am a second-year music major, and I am from Kamloops, B.C. How long have you been involved in making music? Where did this passion come from?

When I was five, my mom bought me a guitar from Value Village, and that spurred my love for the guitar. A little later I began singing while I was playing the guitar (probably when I was 15). I started to find joy in writing my own lyrics, and that sort of took its own course into actually becoming a songwriter and putting more effort and technique into that.

Do you have a favourite style of music or one that you usually work in?

Probably contemporary folk music. It’s like folk but a little less grassroots.

What is your creative process, and how has it changed or evolved over the years?

Creating for me has always come from a place of sharing a story or an experience, and so I think what’s evolved is at the beginning I would be able to share a story just as it is. That was good because people could understand it and connect with it, but now as I’ve grown in my writing, now I can share a story with a little bit more mystery, or in a way that people can find themselves in it. It’s not just a story as it is, but there’s relatability in it and it causes somebody to think. I think that’s the birth of a song––it comes from a story or experience that I’ve had, but then it opens more ideas that come out.

ing message of my songs. But, I also just write for people to find themselves in my music or lyrics. A lot of people would say that they feel calm or in a comfortable place––it doesn’t always have to be comfortable but people can find themselves in it.

Is this something that you want to pursue professionally or after graduation?

Yes! But who knows what that will look like.

The beautiful and terrible thing about the music industry right now is that it’s open to everybody, and so it’s a daunting task to see yourself professionally writing and performing music, but I trust God that it will be in a medium of His choosing. It doesn’t have to be me being a singer/songwriter just living on the road and touring, it could be many other things. And I’m only in my second year, so I have lots of networks to make!

Is there anything else you’d like to share about music?

The support of the arts these days is found by word-of-mouth. Unfortunately, streaming platforms don’t pay the artists very much, so you’re really not supporting the people you listen to. One way you can support any musical artists you listen to is by sharing it with other people, and that is a direct form of how art shapes community and our society. And it’s powerful because you can move people’s hearts in a certain direction.

Follow Robbie on Instagram @robbiedownmusic or listen on Spotify.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

ROBBIE DOWN

How do you express your art or express messages through it?

Sometimes I have a message of how I experienced love, or how I experienced a lack of love, and I think sometimes that’s an underly-

What is your year, team, position, and major?

I am in my 6th year, but 5th year of eligibility. I play on the Men’s Soccer team as a combination of winger, forward, and attacking midfielder. I graduated last December with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Education, with minors in Special Education (both psychology and human kinetics) and I am currently doing the Professional Year Program here at TWU. How did you first get involved with soccer?

My family is a big soccer family. My dad, brother, and my sister all play. I started to play myself when I was about four or five, and growing up in the Tri-Cities area (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody), I naturally played for a few of the youth clubs there. I started out at North Coquitlam United Soccer Club, then moved to Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club (CMFSC) for the rest of my youth career. In my time with CMFSC, I had the opportunity to win a couple different provincial titles, and to go to nationals twice. Once in U16 where we won Nationals and once in U18 where we finished 4th or 5th.

From there, it was quite an easy decision for me to come to TWU, my dad had gone here, and I knew of the coaching staff, so that made for a really smooth transition for myself.

Tell me about your favourite soccer moment?

My favourite moment definitely has to be winning U16 nationals, the tournament was in Newfoundland, and the weather wasn’t great, but just the team bonding that happened on that trip is something I will never forget. That final game is one that will always stick with me as well. With it being the last game of the tournament, all the other teams were watching while waiting for the closing ceremonies, so it was the biggest crowd I had ever played in front of. I started that game as a winger, but at half time my coach came up and said to me, “We need you to play Fullback, we can’t play out of the back right now. I know you’ve never played there before, but that’s gonna help the team win.” So I played the rest of that game including extra time at Fullback, the game was tied

0-0 after 90 minutes but we quickly went up 2-0 in extra time and then held on to win 2-1. That experience was terrifying actually for me, but it was also a really surreal moment for me. I am glad that I really took the time to soak it all in, the crowd, the celebration, everything around me. It really reminded me why I love the game so much.

If you had to compare yourself to one pro player who would it be and why?

Either Mesut Ozil or Isco––I really play a position that has really been lost over the years in professional soccer. That kind of classic “number 10” attacking midfield position, a player who has license to find space wherever, get on the ball, create chances for my teammates and really stretch the defence. Here at TWU, it has worked out that I will start high and wide, and then progressively move in during the match to get on the ball and create space and chances for my team.

What has been your favourite part about your team here at TWU? My favourite part has just been getting to bond and hang out with the team. Each season we have a group of guys graduate and then a new group of freshmen come in. So each year the dynamic is a little different, but it is always so amazing to get to know guys, their stories and really bond together. It always truly feels like family with my team here at TWU. One of the standout moments for me here has to be my two trips to Paraguay in my first two years. While we were there we got to set up some soccer camps for the locals, while also helping with some building projects as well. On both trips, the last big thing we did before we left was run a coaching conference for any people in the community willing to learn to coach. We looked to provide them with the skills and tools to keep the growth of the game sustainable in that community. That is definitely one of my biggest highlights of my time here.

SPARTAN SPOTLIGHT

JACOB LOW

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THE OLYMPIC DREAM? AN ERA OF TEENAGE OLYMPIC DOMINATION SCOTT BOWERS

What was your daily life like at the age of 16, 14, even 12 years old? For many of us, these time periods in our lives would have consisted of cartoons and a bowl of cereal in the morning, an agonizingly long day of school, and maybe even a sports session for those of us athletically-inclined in the evening. Those days pale in comparison to the long and hard days for teenage Olympians, who have to balance their normal high school education schedules, with the training schedules of the world’s best athletes.

“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may have helped these athletes more than it hindered them.”

Here in Canada, many of us were first exposed to the unbelievable feats teenagers were capable of at the Olympic level back in 2016. Swimmer Penny Oleksiak, who was just 16 at the time, took the Rio games by storm earning four Olympic medals.

Those medals comprised two bronze in the 4x100 and 4x200 metre freestyles, a silver in the 100 metre butterfly, and most impressively, her gold in the 100 metre freestyle.

Overnight, Oleksiak had become not only the Canada Olympic darling for that summer but a full-blown celebrity. In the months that followed, she became the face of countless advertisements, received many public shoutouts, and even earned a viral Twitter interaction with Drake. Everyone wanted a piece of Oleksiak at that moment, and rightfully so, as we all wondered how it was possible for someone so young to dominate on the world’s biggest stage.

Oleksiak is a relative outlier for the pure dominance she demonstrated at such a young age; however, as many of you may have noticed at this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo, athletes competing at such a young age is neither irregular nor is it new. Over this past summer we saw teenage athletes compete in everything from swimming to table tennis to skateboarding. Not only were these kids competing on the world’s stage, but they were winning too.

A discussion of Tokyo 2020’s teenage Olympians would be incomplete without speaking about the youngest of the crop. Syrian table tennis player Hend Zaza took that crown at just 12 years old. Yes, you read that right, 12 years old! Incredible.

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Her story of even competing in these games is far more impressive than just her age. Zaza qualified for Tokyo despite her home country being ravaged by civil war, and her reported training facilities being nowhere near the standards other Olympians would be accustomed to. Despite this, many in the Table Tennis world point out her passion and energy for the game and her training. As one official told the International Table Tennis Federation, she is “mature beyond her years” yet “plays with such unique joy,” unlike any other in the sport. Zaza will be just 15 during the next summer Olympics, and is definitely one to keep an eye on to become a teenage medalist next time around.

Another teenage sensation that made major headlines during the Tokyo Olympics was 17-yearold Lydia Jacoby, who, in a shock result, won the women’s 100 meter breaststroke. Jacoby, a native of Seward, Alaska, found herself in a race against many more experienced swimmers. Despite this she took home the gold, defeating the likes of defending Olympic champion and American teammate Lily King. In a very similar fashion to the Canadian Oleksiak in 2016, Jacoby seemingly came out of nowhere to win gold.

For Jacoby, and in fact for many other teenage Olympians, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may have helped these athletes more than it hindered them. Fighting the challenges of a global pandemic while attempting to train for the biggest event of your life was a universal problem for all of the athletes at Tokyo 2020. Dealing with the initial shock of the games’ postponement, the uncertainty of the availability of training environments, and even just months out, if the games would even happen or not were all major and unusual added stressors. Yet as Jacoby admitted before her race, “I feel like I’m in a good place now, because when they closed the pool, I was really concerned about the Olympics and the trials.” The extra year gave Jacoby, like many of the other teenage Olympians, just enough extra time to prepare themselves to compete at the highest level. Which is exactly what Jacoby was able to do.

In certainly the most dominant performance by any teenager at the Tokyo Olympics, and quite possibly the most dominant of any Tokyo Olympian period, China saw its 14-year-old women’s platform diver Quan Hongchan take home gold.

In the women’s individual 10 metre platform final, Quan posted not one, but two dives that received a perfect 10.0 score from all seven judges. One more of her other three dives was also technically perfect, where she was given 10.0 by all but one judge who gave her a 9.5. However, based on the Olympic scoring system, where the best and worst two scores are thrown out before calculation, this technically gave her a third perfect dive.

At the end of her five dives, Quan had accumulated a points total of 466.20, destroying the previous Olympic record of 447.70. A dominant display for any athlete, let alone one who is not old enough to drive a car.

These few examples just begin to scratch the surface when looking at the group of teenagers who have not only competed but dominated at the Olympics in Tokyo. Contrary to the popular belief that athletes sporting primes would be in their mid-to-late 20s, the summer Olympic games are no stranger to young athletes. In fact, since the beginning of the modern summer games in 1896, the youngest participant has always been between 10 and 15 years old. However, the average age of summer Olympians has actually been on the increase over the last five games. We are not getting a mass influx of younger Olympians, so how are they dominating at levels not seen in over a 100 years?

Well the answer is most likely twofold. The first part, which is very specific to this past summer’s Olympics, was basically a trend throughout all the teenage success stories at Tokyo 2020—that being the COVID-19 pandemic actually benefited these young athletes. It gave them an extra year to prepare mentally and have their bodies develop physically, while their older counterparts struggled with maintaining the physical peaks they had already gotten their bodies into.

“A dominant display for any athlete, let alone one that isn’t old enough to drive a car.”

The second part to this answer takes a more longterm look at why so many teenagers can dominate at such a young age. The reality is that these athletes are getting high level and specialized training much earlier than they used to, meaning that athletes have had the necessary amount of time to hone their crafts much earlier in their careers.

Not only will it be exciting to see all of these dominant teenagers try to replicate their success in 2024, but as we see each and every time, those summer games in Paris three years from now will produce its own set of teenage sensations.

SKATE OR DIE: CONFORMITY VS. FREEDOM DIEGO BASCUR

Skate or Die. This phrase speaks for itself: its rejection of conformity, its expression, its pain and its joy. In a certain sense, it is pure, freeing, exhilarating. The outcast finds a home, and the community finds a purpose. The origin of skateboarding speaks of a lawless experience that is without order. So the question must be asked, where does competition and skating as a sport fit into skate culture?

“Skating is meant to be hard, imperfect, creative, dangerous, unique and done in the street. All of which is taken away in competition.”

Skate competitions such as the X Games, the Dew Tour, Best Shredder Series, and recently the Olympics, show skating is undoubtedly a sport and a highly competitive sport at that. Some of the best skaters including Nyjah Houston and

Yuto Horigome compete in these events, so competition skating cannot be left out of skate culture. When Tony Hawk landed a 900, one of the greatest moments in skate history, it was at the X Games. However, the community seems to be divided, and the undertone of displeasure for competition skating came to the surface during the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. Though it was a true victory for the sport, the mainstream aspect of this did not seem to sit well with many skaters. Is skating meant to be mainstream, or does this go against its own nature?

I believe the rejection of a mainstream skating culture lies within the reason to skate. This is expressed by pro skater Ryan Sheckler who says, “Skateboarding is a lifestyle. If I wasn’t a professional skateboarder, I’d be skating everyday anyways.” In this comment, Sheckler describes a deep desire to skate, not for money or fame, simply for the pure enjoyment of it.

Obviously, competitive skating has brought many benefits to the community. As skateboarding becomes more mainstream, more money is funnelled into it, which goes to more skateparks, more wealth for skate companies, and larger interest amongst youth to become skaters. Thrasher magazine is a prime example of a skate compa-

ny bringing in money to support and expand the community through its clothing and becoming part of the mainstream.

“So it’s not why I skate, it’s how could I not skate.”

So then, the question becomes: where is the line between popularizing skating and the very essence of it being stripped away? I asked a friend and skater from North Vancouver, Jack Cluett, for his opinion: “I think skating is meant to be hard, imperfect, creative, dangerous, unique and done in the street. All of which is taken away in competition,”said Cluett.

This is not an uncommon sentiment, and is at the core of this divide which persists amongst skaters.

I will leave you with the words from Cluett on why he loves skating: “It’s the funnest thing in the entire world. Also it’s every aspect of my life; it’s my social life, my creative outlet, my exercise, my catharsis, my pleasure. So it’s not why I skate, it’s how could I not skate.” Skate or Die.

ESPORTS: UNSPOKEN SPARTANS DIEGO BASCUR

There is so much conflict. There are truly 50 shades of grey in the world of sports. The definition of a sport is “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” This open-ended definition has introduced a whole new generation of sports, the image of an athlete is changing, the very nature of a sport has altered.

Video games have become a massive example of an altering aspect in sports culture. We enter a new reality, a new frontier, and the esports community is steamrolling into the mainstream. We have seen, over the last 15 years, this culture establish itself in the sports community, get paid, then defiantly cry out, “We are athletes,” all while streaming a 10-kill battle royale dub.

“With the creation of Game development, a door has been opened for esports to now establish a more prominent place in Trinity athletics department, and dare I say it, considered Spartans at this University.”

I want to delve into this conversation and capture both sides of an argument. But, on a deeper level, make sense of what makes this community so unique and why it is more than just a game. The generational gap cannot be overlooked: it is a key aspect that fuels this argument. Two different childhoods, two different worlds, both continuously in conflict as innovation arises. Imagine for a second you are a kid again, except it’s the 80s.

Oh, and there is no internet, and, uh-oh, you are not playing video games, you are outside playing soccer or baseball. In a childhood without video games there could be a struggle to accept the

idea of kids staying inside staring at screens moving their fingers. Furthermore, learning that kids have aspirations of doing this as a career and consider themselves athletes. If I grew up without the internet, upon finding this out, I would probably move into the wilderness, having lost hope in humanity. This is the divide which shapes this culture, a divide which will hopefully motivate esports to become even more popularized, for there must be challenges in order to flourish.

Where the separation becomes really interesting, is its existence in the present youth. I was able to get the opinion of one Spartan, who, upon being asked their opinion of esports, stated, “It feels like it belittles what I do.” In other words, it is the opinion of this athlete that we must be careful with what we deem a sport. When you consider video games a sport, it changes some of the criteria of what makes an athlete an athlete, such as physical exertion. This is a more than fair point, and I believe a shared feeling exists amongst many athletes. However, it is my opinion that we cannot chain progress, for progress is the nature of humanity. Perhaps it is time we start to change our view of what an athlete is, what a competitive sport is; the definition of sports certainly supports this change, as does our ever-growing bond with technology.

The wave of esports is undoubtedly present at Trinity Western University (TWU) and widespread amongst various universities. Looking at schools like UBC or Grand Canyon University (GCU), we can see the extent to which esports has established itself. GCU alone has over 17 teams, with over 100 players across various games, coaches on salary, a well-equipped training and competition facility, as well as scholarships. It is not uncommon to go to GCU solely for the esports program, which is well-embedded into the athletic department, and hopefully a program we see here on campus in the future.

Having the honour of talking to Caleb Millard has allowed me to have a view into the beginnings of this movement here at TWU, in the form of League of Legends. There seems to be real promise for this team’s success in the upcoming season. With nationally ranked players such as Max Munday,

and the right training regiment and strategy, Millard believes his team has a real shot to finish high in its respective conference, the Riot Collegiate League (a North American League). This would lead to a chance to perhaps compete in Europe on an international level. Obviously, there is much work to be done, but the high level at which these athletes are playing should be noted.

“Perhaps it is time we start to change our view of what an athlete is, what a competitive sport is, the definition certainly supports this change, as does our ever-growing bond with technology.”

To gain a better respect for the game, one can look to an article ESPN came out with on the pro league of League of Legends stating, “[T]he League Championship Series is the third most popular professional sports league in the United States among 18-to-34-year-olds based on live average minute audience.” This was written in December of 2019, more than a year and half ago, and it has only grown since then. Millard, in his mission to bring esports to TWU, is a visionary following in the footsteps of the Chair of MCOM and the Lead of Game Development (which he started in 2019), Kevin Schut. With the creation of game development, and the esports being the biggest club on campus, a door has been opened for it to now establish a more prominent place in the TWU athletics department, and, dare I say it, consider gamers to be Spartans at this university. Obviously, starting a new sport at a school will come with many challenges, but the future is bright and promising. One thing is for sure: this movement has this writer’s support and the support of many others. Esports is here, and it is here to stay.

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TWU CROSSWORD

Down 1. Absolute plague to this campus and its future.

3. A popular island for skinny dipping.

4. When the business building will be complete.

5. A game boys play to attract a mate.

6. Name of the really big gazebo.

7. The Pond, also a campus building.

8. Slang for popular footwear.

10. Has affordable parking.

TWUSA EVENTS FROM AN AVERAGE TWUSA ENJOYER LUCY CHUANG

When I think of how easy it is to go to TWUSA events, my mind wanders to three simple reasons. First, most of them are free or you already paid for them in your tuition. Second, they are fun and often have food included.

Third, the TWUSA team works really hard on these events (though we hardly get paid enough). Wow, those are all great reasons to come to a TWUSA event! But you might ask, “Lucy, what events are happening this year? I’m new to the TWU campus, so I don’t know many of them.” Well, that’s a great question, anonymous first-or-secondyear student! Here is a list of my favourite events throughout the remainder of the school year.

404: On October 30, TWUSA throws its end-of-October, not-related-to-any-holiday party, but it is not just a party. If you are afraid of dressing up and going trick-or-treating on campus during that time of the month, live your wildest dreams at this dress-up dance! (Location TBD) Puppy Room: Once exams roll around, TWUSA will have free puppy therapy during exam season. Need I say more?

Christmas Gala: This exclusive, limited ticket event is one of the only times to dress fancy and dance around with other people! Enjoy some music and sip fancy (sparkling) apple cider! Don’t forget to buy your tickets in advance for your chance to blend in with the rich kids on campus on the week of November 27.

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Spring Festival: A.K.A. Chinese New Year’s Festival! Rumour has it, they usually provide free bubble tea.

Hootenanny: Honestly, you just have to be there. You can’t describe the whole event in a few sentences. You never know what to expect for this event. Could it be a talent show? A musical performed by TWUSA? Is Sarah Kate singing? Is that Andrew dancing?

Wait… What is Max wearing? Keep an eye out for auditions for the March 12 event.

EIGHT COMMON DREAMS AND WHAT THEY MEAN

LEX DIERSCH

Have you been experiencing weirdly vivid dreams lately? It’s more common than you think. I have compiled a list of common dreams and their very scientific meanings.

We even brought in a team of dream specialists to look over this list. They never got back to us so we are assuming that means this list is completely accurate.

1. Dying: This is a very common dream, so no need to worry. It most likely means that you haven’t studied enough for your midterms. You better get on that.

2. Falling: It means that you should probably go eat something. Especially some vegetables. Nutrition is the key to getting rid of this recurring dream.

3. Being naked: This means you don’t drink enough water. So go––fill up your Hydro Flask™ and chug the whole thing right now. I guarantee that before you know it you will be wearing clothes in your dreams again.

Grad Banquet (my event!!): Grad 2021, picture yourself enjoying an excellent fancy meal that is not from the S*d*x* nor cooked by yourself or roommates.

Sit down with your fellow classmates in a lovely indoor place (Oooooh, the location is still top secret), or dance to the live music with dazzling lights all around the room.

P.S. PLEASE don’t propose to your significant other during this event. I know the moment might seem like the perfect time for doing it, but please don’t.

4. Being chased: Your best friend from high school just got engaged. Pretty self-explanatory.

These are just a few of many TWUSA events that are happening this school year. Keep your eyes out for posters for more accurate details. See you all there, or not. It doesn’t really matter because you already paid for most of them!

8. Flying: If you have had this dream, do not tell anyone. It means that you are secretly a superhero, and it is now your mission to save Earth from evil gummy bear monsters.

5. Taking a test: Contrary to popular belief, this has absolutely nothing to do with school. It means that your roommates have definitely noticed that you haven’t showered in the past week and you smell really bad. Go shower, stinky.

6. Losing teeth: When was the last time you went outside? Go look at some trees.

7. Your partner is cheating on you: If you are single like me, this is definitely a weird one to get. It means that your Dream Person is just around the corner, waiting to waltz into your life and sweep you off your feet. Because that’s definitely how it works. If you’re not single, then I cannot help you. *good 4 u starts playing*

If the dreams you have been experiencing are not on this list, you should try watching less Netflix. The less wacky sci-fi TV shows the better. I hope this very scientific article has been helpful to you and that it enables you to catch up on some much-needed beauty sleep.

CROSSWORD ANSWERS Across: 1. stronger, 2. husbands, 9. rockridge, 11. bellingham, 12. freedom, 13. leadership Down: 1. sodexo, 3. brae, 4. never, 5. spikeball, 6. ubuntu, 7. mcmillan, 8. blundies, 10. cpc

Across 1. How TWU would like to emerge.

2. An ironic last name considering his opinions.

9. Most conceited and cultish event with TWU. 11. The US city that once had a TWU campus.

12. A hall where screams often emit from.

13. Most popular degree TWU offers.

A HUMBLE SOLUTION SADIE MCDONALD

For preventing the increasing dependency on technology in an infantile society that is capable of positive literary change.

It is evident that the increase of technology use in the 21st century has led to an exponential decrease in reading for enjoyment. Anyone who makes the conscious effort to look away from their phone will see a world of screen obsessed zombies, particularly Generation Z—the teenagers so enamoured with technology that it consumes hours of their day and is necessary for school, work, entertainment, and pleasure. This over-dependency on technology has resulted in an alarming admission of addiction, with many people acknowledging and verbalizing their reliance without shame as society has normalized the frequent use of electronics, especially amidst a global pandemic.

While we can agree that technology is necessary for societal progress and that technology can be used for incredible good such as advancements in medicine; I humbly propose that in order to steer society away from a post-pandemic cognitive decline, we must stress the value of reading, particularly regarding literacy rates in education. To resolve the problem of disproportionate screen time and lack of reading, I offer the solution outlined in my modest proposal below. Good intentions are not enough; we must take immediate action if we want progress to be made.

First, conditioning must start while children are young. A child raised to read will learn to love to read, which is why as soon as a child leaves the womb, a moral-appropriate audiobook must be played every night from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. for the duration of the child’s life. This form of sleep hypnosis will allow children to absorb literature before they can even read, effectively creating an unconscious craving for the written word.

Not only will narrative be absorbed through the conscience, but so will slogans of schooling, including, but not limited to: the physical, psychological, and addictive effects of excessive tech-

nology use. Vocabulary must be taught as soon as possible, and once children reach test-taking age, mandatory weekly testing on the readings will be done to assess comprehension. A novel must be read weekly, and failure to meet the reading goal will result in the punishment of reduced screen time.

Second, screen time must be severely limited with no exceptions. Children under the age of twelve will not be allowed to possess an electronic device and parents found providing their children with such entertainment will have all technology privileges revoked. At the age of allowance (13) only one device will be allowed per person, whether that be a phone, computer, or television. A multiple person household will have a device limit of three, and after one hour of screen time a day, all apps will be shut off.

Technology will be made extremely expensive in order to create the unaffordability of owning multiple devices, and books will become free to promote reading. Additionally, there will be a minimum of one public library in every city.

In order to create a beautiful population of literate intellectuals, any person found not reading at their expected comprehension level will be sent to a reading rehabilitation camp, where failure to comply will result in a life-long ban from all technology. Activities mandated by the government include the destruction of personal electronics, participation in dramatic re-enactments of scenes not understood, and a temporary, illiterate, amnesia-induced state, in which the participant realizes how much words matter. This solution is fail-proof because reading rehabilitation camps will be the fastest way to rid society of idiocy by eliminating Garbagein-One’s-Own-Good-LifE. While my humble solution may be met with intense criticism, particularly from my Generation Z peers, it is of utmost importance to recognize the benefit that my proposal implements, for both today and tomorrow.

DEAR MORAL KOALA...

Dear Moral Koala, I have recently been having issues with my aggression. There is this one really annoying kid in my chem class who keeps answering every question and all around being a brown-noser to the profs. I didn’t think much of it because everyone hates this guy, but just last night I had a dream where I murdered him, and I am worrying it has gone too far. What advice do you have for me in regards to taking a chill pill?

Angrily, Murderous Mistress

Dear Murderous Mistress, It is times such as these where I like to open my Bible at random and let the Holy Spirit guide me to Their answers. Today, for you, I have flipped to a quite topical passage. In Proverbs 3:24, Jesus says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Whenever I am feeling as though I may let my wrath get the best of me because of a brown-noser in class, I let that rage and anger flow out without hesitation. As long as you take a moment between punches and kicks to confess your sins and seek forgiveness, God will grant it to you. Go in peace and rage.

With equivocal virtue, Moral Koala

THE POP CULT PLAYLIST

Consider this your Discover (Bi)Weekly from the Mars’ Hill Exec team.

GILLIAN SCOTT

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