Volume 24 Issue 9: Unflinching

APARTMENT APPLICATIONS PG. 6

VOLUME 24 UNFLINCHING

MY BODY REMEMBERS PG. 10-11

WHOSE LAND IS IT ANYWAY PG. 18

ISSUE NO. 9 03.04.20

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Dear Reader, When I came up with the theme “Protest” in the summer of 2019, the myriad of protests that dominated the headlines over the past year such as the many climate strikes and civil disobedience in Hong Kong had yet to fully gain traction. A few weeks ago, in anticipation of the release of the issue, I began to doubt myself. I began to wonder if the topic was overdone. Moreover, I wondered if we were all a little bit fatigued. I doubted our capacity to fully engage in a conversation about one of the key pieces of machinery of cultural change—the right to protest—if we were too fatigued to follow through on these essential conversations.

However, as the efforts to protect the land of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation began to gain media traction, “protest” again began to dominate the discourse. The primary tenets of this conversation did not seem to really focus on the nature of protests. Rather, it focussed on more suspended things like “rule of law,” the responsibility to participate in resolution, and inevitably, the need for compromise. Therefore, “Protest” still did not feel like it fully embodied everything that needed to be accomplished by this publication. Ishita Wilson, our Opinions Editor, suggested Unflinching. Our team immediately connected with the idea, and we have used aspects of both to shape themes our content.

This semester we have explored some generative, and occasionally, contentious, topics including administration, alignment, and most recently, trauma.

Our goal in doing so was not to produce this publication without engaging in ongoing discourse.

Mars’ Hill should be a medium in which reciprocal and multiplicitous dialogue is encouraged.

Thus far, many have demonstrated a willingness to engage in ongoing conversations about some of these critical issues. This has required us to be willing to defend our work, to have one another’s back, and to acknowledge different perspectives on the function of a publication in a community like Trinity Western University—all without flinching.

At the beginning of the academic year, we established a commitment as a team to navigate effectively the difference between being “unsafe” and being “uncomfortable.” Conflict is inherently uncomfortable, but should never be unsafe. If the pursuit of resolution becomes unsafe, reconciliation is inconceivable.

Conflict becomes unsafe when those in power— who often also happen to be the perpetrators—do not fully recognize their complicity in the systems that perpetrated the abuse.

Much of the conversation following the “Trauma” issue orbited around questions of how to engage in effective conflict resolution without re-traumatizing victims and survivors. These were hard, deeply fatiguing, conversations.

As the example of Wet’suwet’en solidarity protests continue to teach us, those in power have a responsibility to ensure that the ways in which we address conflict are not reproducing the context in which the trauma was experienced—even if they do not perceive themselves as being in the wrong. As Emmett Hanly argues in his article “Whose Land is it Anyway,” the Wet’suwet’en leaders are unwilling to engage in conflict resolution with CGL not because they want this turmoil to continue, but because a truly reconciliatory process requires nation-to-nation dialogue.

It is our hope that as you engage with this issue’s content you see both realities of the process of cultural change represented. We hope you see evidence of the need to defiantly protest, and also the need to humbly, and without flinching, move into dialogues that pursue absolution.

As ever,

“Unflinching” is a beautifully embodied word that lends resonance to the posture of holding fast to one’s values even when facing the response in the wake of uproarious protest. It requires us to be present, yet still principled.

MARS’ HILL

MISSION TO MARS

Mars’ Hill is a student publication of Trinity Western University located on the tradtitional ancestral territory of the Sto:lo 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.

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

EDITORIAL POLICY

CONTRIBUTORS

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 Editorin-Chief.

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

Sydney Rees Nyssa Hanneke Braeden Sam Travis Skyler

Dvorak Morgan Morgan Voute Sunnes Rosenau Verveda Weinberg

Media Advisor: Loranne Brown 7600 Glover Road, V2Y1Y1 Langley, British Columbia, Canada marshill@gmail.com marshillnewspaper.com

WHAT IS THE WORST SMELLING PLACE ON CAMPUS?

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SUBMIT YOUR OWN AT MARSHILLNEWSPAPER.COM/DECLASSIFIEDS Will Glenn fix the Marlie microwaves before TWU fixes the roads?

Place your bets now.

Yo upperclassmen. Can someone pls make another Cal Townsend quote page on Twitter? life is incomplete without a regular dose of Cal quotes The lower caf is an honorary collegium: change my mind join the moss train popularize “what the honk” Slack is now a part of my morning social media scroll so I’d say I’m an adult In case anyone was wondering, Micheal Scott’s birthday is March 15 Can someone please explain why we have to share mailboxes? I feel like that’s no okay Submitting declassifieds are a great way to procrastinate and ignore the mounting anxiety Greta Thunberg-girl, I have never seen you but I want you to know that you are a unique individual with so much to offer the world.

You are not defined by your Swedish identical twin When will official_happy_train_ twu hear the cries of the people?

We demand more train memes! original_trinity_memepage got to 420 posts and then dipped. I can respect that If we investigated fire alarms like witch hunts then I bet we’d have a lot fewer fire alarms. Just sayin’ I need a VPN for Netflix but I don’t know what that even means. Can anyone help?

IT SHOULDNT TAKE 5 HOURS TO WATCH A 30 MINUTE VIDEO TWU fix your bad wifi I pay 300000000 for tuition I should be able to watch Netflix without this much lag Twusa actually do something fix the wifi Why were the declassified a suddenly so pure for one issue??

Where are these famous geese?

If you have a crush on your acquaintances ex is that like cheating by trinity standards??

If you park behind Jacobson, there is an 8/10 chance I’m watching from my window judging your parking job (you are all very good no worries) Everyone in my dorm loves the volleyball boys but none of them care about volleyball... smh Hey Kyle Penner, I like you.

I love my friends but I love them less when they refuse to go to 11:07 hey you that keeps on sending in these in about Kendra Kay, I think she’s great too. text me at (306) 260-8057 if you want an easy $5. I promise this is not a joke dear student feeling lonely in last issue’s declassfieds: it gets better, i promise. as a graduate of twu i resonate with your vulnerability and want to encourage you to not isolate yourself push into the beautiful network of people around you. get out of your head - go for a walk, be outside, but do it with someone who cares. you can be brave. this is your time to make mistakes and get messy, in the words of miss frizzle. i am rooting for you as a fellow human who made her time at trin a lot harder than it needed to be by choosing lonerhood over community time and time again. don’t do what i did. choose to be the beloved. you already are.

The worst part about the TWUSA Representative speeches was hearing all those beautiful Dutch sirnames getting anglicized.

Together we can do more, together we can make Trinity great again!

Why is no one talking about the blonde Billie Eilish look alike on campus?

When you become a Spartan, do they make you burn all your other clothes? when is it ever acceptable to talk in a Jacobson study room North Up... what a bunch of babes!!

When Cal Townsend compares the US to Soddom and Gomorrah................

Everyone gets a copy of the Mars Hill only to read the declassified try and change my mind.

To the person who noticed that Jacob Laubach holds his guitar really high: I did too.

The Jacobson study rooms are for everyone. Period.

Jacobson, if you don’t want us working on group projects in your study rooms, just say so.

Is it just me or did anyone else notice the female representation on the TWUSA Exec. team?

Stop making fun of the Sodexo employees, they work hard and try their best.

I like how the Mars’ Hill constantly writes about everything being relative until they don’t like one rap song and critique it word for word from a literal standpoint. If I wanted an agenda I would buy it from the bookstore Can you stop writing my name on the carrels in the library. Thanks.

chad ruloff is an alpha male and no one can convince me otherwise Unpopular opinion: The best live-action remake of 2019 was Dora and the Lost City of Gold. *Picks up Mars Hill* *Reads Declassifieds* *Throws away Mars Hill* If my moustache would prevent you from dating me, please tell me.

If your hungry eat celery, celery has no consequences.

I am so tired of playing the dating game. Can we all just grow the fuck up and tell people how we feel? that way we can stop wasting our fucking time. -sincerely someone who is tired of this bullshit. i have the biggest platonic heart sparkle on rees morgan hot take: the all female twusa exec is a reflection of the most qualified candidates Why are single people so whiny on Valentines Day? Like I don’t start crying on Cinco De Mayo because I’m not Mexican. Just let couples have a day, sheesh.

One of the best things about being 6’3” is that you can open doors with your butt - the pull ones just take more skill There are many posters on campus Rees, I think we are talking about different ones. Also I agree that “against the norm” could be worded better.

Peeing with a door open knows no age, gender nor race.

Pikachu has one pack

shout-out to Liv Walton for being the best person on the entire planet! God really went off when they made you!!! if you need proof that God is good, look no further than Liv Walton! she is perfect and also the best

Andrew Scheer: We should talk about the blockades Justin Trudeau: You can’t SIT WITH US gosh go away Andrew

does Andrew Scheer go by ‘Andy’ or ‘Drew’

Take me on a date to 11:07 or else Well done. You’ve successfully bullied a first-year student with a full article. Let the guy do what he loves and find some better things to blast your opinion on. -Alum of 2015 would anyone be down to have like a legit food fight in the caf Wait, nobody told me that Frits Kuhn is Bob Kuhn’s nephew!!!!!!!!!?!?!?

I can say to the small man quote, I know I can have bad phone call manners in Canadian perspective but its a cultural difference.

It changed recently like canadian mannerism but in my country you had to be demaning and a bit rude in order to claim what you need because it is a very competitive country. If not, people will step all over you and customer service people will condemn you for not being assertive. Nothing bad nothing good, it just used to be that way.

Eating chocolate makes me feel like everything is going to be alright.

Maybe they banned chalk at the gym because the gym coordinator doesn’t even lift

HOT TAKE: Twilight is not that bad and neither is Sodexo!

If you need a man who can whisper Nietzsche to you and cuddle you on rainy days then you need Kyle Penner.

@the girl that complimented my boots and then bowed dramatically when I held the door for you: I think about you daily if you haven’t had a crush on Olivia Walton and subsequently realised how much you like girls, are you even lesbian?? shout-out to Micah Bron and Kieran Wear for showing everyone they meet what godly love looks like, you two are seriously so amazing <3 hot take: I love the train

These speed bumps are really interrupting my vroom vroom abilities super stoked for bob the building

Jake Krause is epitome of Trinity

aeiou

If you didn’t like frozen 2 you probably suck

i keep forgetting that straight people exist. whenever i see a declassified about some cute girl i just don’t even consider that maybe a man wrote it.

Baraka Zhou is genuine, kind and caring. 100% recommend his friendship

You know what is a real bummer, liking a guy that wants to be a missionary overseas and you don’t this is the real TWU tragedy

There is 33 Emmas at this damn school.

Rees Morgan is a close second

These new, ill-made speed bumps are killing my car and my spirits Kylee from 1L is seriously the coolest girl on campus - Kylee from 1L *correction Jen mcphail is Mennonite’s brother. Just blood related.

Sorry for the confusion

thanks Sodexo for giving me four different types of potatoes and no protein

The Cars soundtrack high key slaps #changemymind Thanks MH for bringing justice to campus by trashing an aspiring first-year artist in the ‘name of academic integrity’. We’re a better community because of it.

Just watched a girl shoot her shot IN THE LIBRARY. Honestly inspiring.

Trinity listen to me whoever I am Your gossip is annoying grow up be a man Oh wait it’s all girls so this won’t be seen I wonder what would happen and no I’m not mean Philip Yancy: “Would you trust your life with a man who looks like that?”

Me: “Sure, but I wouldn’t trust my life with a man who doesn’t know the difference between Tom Hanks and Mr. Rogers.”

Vote Trina for Director of Global Engagement Office Paulie’s Pourover is the gateway to the Good Life March is endometriosis awareness month. Educate yourself.

I have come here as a safe place to vent about the speed bumps I am so glad I am graduating the semester they decide to put in the most obnoxious speed bumps known to mankind on campus.

It sickens me that at one point I was the annoying first year upperclassmen were disgusted by.

Jericho has FNDN 102 Lab, FNDN 102, FNDN 201, and FNDN 101 on every Wednesday. He should be elected as FNDN Rep. Vote Jericho for FNDN Rep!

RA’s next year will be garbage. PSA

All I want is to be able to watch Netflix in bed without it having to stop and buffer every two minutes

Indie bands make music bad and expect me to call it sophisticated

...walked into some dirty things happening in Robson Lounge

Dorm hours are a social construct

the new speed bumps are literally triangles

Isaiah Mackie, Douglas 266, please come to 1L for a visit Hi Kelsey

I’d like to formally apologize to the bottom of my car for the new campus speed bumps

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.

CORRECTIONS In issue no. 8 of Mars’ Hill, an article in the news section, “TWUSA Trends,” erroneously reported that Jada Wiebe is a third year. Wiebe is a second year. Mars’ Hill regrets this error.

In issue no. 8 of Mars’ Hill, “Trinity Western Outfitters: TWU Bookstore’s Name Change and New System,” was inaccurately credited to Emma Dykstra. The actual author was Natalie Davidson. Mars’ Hill thanks Davidson for her contribution and regrets this error.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME? Braedon Grover Sunnes WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR? BFA in Acting WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Newberg, Oregon.

WHY DO YOU WRITE FOR MARS’ HILL? In all honesty, I have had more rejected articles than submitted ones to Mars’ Hill, but that isn’t to bring shade to Emmett. I enjoy writing creatively and being told “no” encourages me to find ways to deliver a similar message through another means, or in this issue’s case, another memes. I want to bring joy to others through laughter and relatability while also sharing important ideas and thoughts that spark thicc conversation.

IF YOU HAD TO STAND ON ONE SURFACE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Probably boats.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ARTICLE YOU’VE WRITTEN FOR MARS’ HILL AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Honestly my best work is in the Declassifieds because it usually isn’t rejected by Emmett.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK AND WHY? Lord of the Rings. Combining Christianity and DnD has never gone so well.

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU BELIEVE IN, SOMETHING YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND WANT TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD? I really feel passionate about labelling what many call hate as fear instead. With this insight to people’s actions, practicing empathy towards those that differ from us in race, political orientation, sexuality, you name it, becomes tangible and personal.

Claiming that others hate demonizes them and takes away our ability to see Christ within them.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING? This is my favorite knit sweater from my local thrift store, @shopvelour. It was my first purchase from there and it makes me feel like a VSCO girl.

“WEIRD BATHROOM ON FIRST FLOOR OF FRASER” - GRACE GIESBRECHT

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

HUMBLED BY THE GROWING AWARENESS OF HOW LITTLE I KNOW

TODD MARTIN February 22, 2020 Dear Editor,

I would like to respond to the important article “My Queerness Is Not Up For Debate: Irresponsibility in Academic Discourse” by Lis Browning date February 12, 2020. I hope my response sends the message that I take Browning’s article seriously. I write with one main goal in mind, to defend the integrity of the faculty that I work with and that I feel are unintentionally misrepresented by Browning’s portrayal of them in their article. I do this with the desire to facilitate responsible academic discourse in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Let me begin by applauding Browning for using their voice in a public forum about such an important topic. Publishing one’s material, although open to all, is a privileged public responsibility that should not be underestimated or taken for granted.

I appreciate the way in which they have expressed themself. I support their concern regarding the importance of handling issues of identity within the classroom. I believe their comments are sincere and heartfelt. I also believe that Browning is aware of much of what I am about to say and so my comments are more directed to the general readership that may have read their article. I also would like to acknowledge that as a white male in academic leadership at this institution, my comments are coming from a place of privilege that I realize not all hold. I reflect on that privilege and take it seriously. I hope my comments demonstrate a desire to build up the institution and facilitate responsible academic discourse.

Irresponsible academic discourse is harmful to the whole academic community and I agree with Browning that both faculty and students have a responsibility. I understand that a power imbalance exists between faculty and students and that in spite of protocol to address that imbalance, it may still be difficult for students to come forward when they feel that their professor is not accurately navigating a “hot topic.” I hope my comments encourage students and faculty to develop a more healthy dialogue about these matters.

Since the Humanities and Social Sciences faculty seem to be the focus of this article, I would like to respond to one concern of my own. Browning writes, “Teaching a psychology class on gender does not give someone the authority to lecture about sexuality and nature versus nurture from a few journal articles they read over the weekend.”* I find this statement to be unhelpful in

several ways. The statement is condescending to people who have sacrificed years of their lives to be in the role of academics.

It presupposes that the “professor of the psychology class on gender” (I realize this is a generic illustration) has attested to be an authority on the topic and that expertise has been the result of reading “a few journal articles over the weekend.” I find this kind of rhetoric dismissive and undermining of the high quality faculty that we have in all our disciplines (regardless of the topic under discussion). I do not believe someone who has spent the better part of 25 years getting an education is going to confuse either a weekend of time or reading a few journal articles with becoming an authority on anything. I find that our faculty are incredibly humble about their limitations in their knowledge base.

Even though many are internationally renowned experts in their field, that field is almost always narrow. The one thing I have learned in my own academic pursuit is how little I really know.

The more I learn, the more I realize what I don’t know. That is humbling and I know my colleagues share the same feelings. To misrepresent that fact is irresponsible.

I would like faculty and students to work together collectively to achieve Browning’s “amazing conversation” if it can be done “in a responsible and effective way.” This will never be a perfect endeavour due to the limitations of faculty who may not be trained or educated in “queer theory, history, or theology” combined with students who are just beginning to develop expertise and knowledge of sociology, anthropology, international studies, political studies, gender studies, philosophy, biology, and chemistry to expand the list of relevant topics a bit further. In addition to subject matter, there are the myriad of scientific theories that are used to help guide the exploration of knowledge—most of which we are not only uneducated in, but ignorant of, as well.

I would like to conclude by encouraging Browning to dialogue with faculty and find out that many are inviting people from diverse backgrounds into their classes, having these people share their stories, and engaging students in their knowledge journeys. I would also like to leave Browning with an open invitation for discussion and dialogue in a way that mutually respects students and faculty in making the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences a place of responsible academic discourse. * I would like to acknowledge that at the time of final submission to Mars’ Hill I am aware that these comments had been edited out of the print copy of the article prior to publication and have since been edited out of the online version as well.

“STAIRWELL OF DOUGLAS 6/7’S” - ANNA SAUNDERS

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CLOSER TO HOME THAN YOU THINK: TWU AND THE CORONAVIRUS EMMA DYKSTRA

Robin (name changed for privacy) is an international student from China and for them, coronavirus is not simply part of a concerning headline: it is the lived experience of family at home. “It’s quite scary,” they say.

they wish to leave home, and they must have a good reason to do so. Work is out of the question for some families. Most of the businesses in the area Robin is from are shut down with the exception of some grocery stores and pharmacies.

There are eleven confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Canada, seven of them in British Columbia. A headline that used to feel worlds away is slowly becoming closer to home. But there are students at TWU who have been affected by the outbreak since the first confirmed case in December.

The international community at TWU has been observing what is happening in their home countries, and it has not been easy.

Save for accounts from their families when they can hear from them, international students (specifically those from China) are forced to rely on what Canadian media tells them about what is happening at home.

Robin has been paying close attention to what the Western media has been saying about the virus, especially when addressing media control in China. “I personally think that is true,” Robin said when asked about this topic. “There is control to a certain level, but I would say it is necessary at this certain time because word spread out of fear spreads fastest.”

As of March 1, there were 87 137 confirmed cases worldwide, and 2977 deaths as a result of the virus. The original outbreak occurred in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of the Chinese province Hubei. The virus is common among animals, but has become zoonotic, meaning that it can be transmitted from animals to humans. The first people diagnosed likely consumed meat infected with the virus, but the original source of the outbreak is still unknown.

Human-to-human transmission is causing the outbreak to go global. According to the World Health Organization, simply touching something that an infected person has come into contact with spreads the disease. Being coughed on or absorbing any kind of human secretion creates a risk of infection. Beyond the virus’ highly contagious nature, it takes 14 days for symptoms to appear, helping the disease to spread further afield. There is widespread fear globally, and that fear is not unfelt at TWU. Robin is originally from a province near Wuhan, only 200 kilometres away from where the first outbreak took place. They know people who have been directly affected by the outbreak. “In their village, this one family wasn’t even allowed to leave their house. The police came and just locked their doors so they couldn’t get out . . . there was nothing they could do about it.” Families in these situations have food and other supplies required for daily living brought to them every two days, but other than that, there is little to no outside exposure. “It’s like a jail,” said Robin. People must ask for permission from the police if

Robin mentioned that while the West has a lot of opinions on the media control in China, Chinese people have a lot of opinions about Western media, as well. “They think the West only cares about their own issues and judges China on their own issues,” said Robin. This divide has caused different reactions within the community of Canadian and Chinese students, despite the jokes heard around campus. Robin admits that they joke about it as well, but are bothered when people who do not understand the situation make the same kinds of jokes.

“This is a distant issue for [Canadian students], so they think they can joke about it and make fun of it,” says Robin. “If it’s a Chinese student making fun of it . . . they understand the whole issue and use jokes as a way of coping with it. When people from here joke about it, it’s more like mocking in a way. That’s what I feel.”

TWU hosts students from over 30 countries around the world, and some of these countries are facing outbreaks of the serious COVID-19 illness. It is important to be sensitive to the ways it affects our fellow students. Robin goes on to say “most of the Chinese students are not Christians.”

They believe that TWU has a chance to be a positive witness by reaching out and caring for the international community through prayer and open dialogue. “If we can use the voice and the influence that the school has, we can show that this school actually cares about this issue.”

“FRASER HALLWAYS” - BETHANY SPYKSMA

HARVEY WEINSTEIN CONVICTED SYDNEY DVORAK

On May 25, 2018, former movie producer Harvey Weinstein was arrested in New York and charged with rape. On February 24, 2020, Weinstein was convicted of criminal sexual acts and third-degree rape.

Weinstein has been accused of 80 counts of sexual misconduct stretching back decades. During the trial, he was only convicted of two of five charges—the sexual assault of his former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and the rape of actress Jessica Mann in 2013.

At trial, the prosecution called 28 witnesses, in addition to 6 accusers including Haleyi and Mann. Throughout the trial, the defense argued that regret made these women spin stories of abuse from consensual encounters. Weinstein’s lawyers claimed that these women were responsible for their own actions, arguing these incidents were the results of “choices they made to further their own careers.”

The sentencing date is set for March 11, where Weinstein could receive 25 years in prison. Weinstein still faces dozens of sexual assault charges in California, which were announced just hours after the trial in New York began.

The conviction of only two of the many counts of sexual assault and rape could be seen as a loss.

But, in the words of Haleyi’s attorney Gloria Allred, “Women will not be silenced. They will speak up. They will have their voice heard . . . so, Harvey Weinstein, this justice has been a long time coming, but it’s finally here.”

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GETTING THE PRIORITIES RIGHT: TWU APARTMENT APPLICATIONS FOR 2020/21

GRACE GIESBRECHT

WHAT THE HONK WAS THE TECK FRONTIER MINING PROJECT? EMMA DYKSTRA Teck Resources Limited is a mining and mineral project company based in Vancouver who proposed some pretty big plans for the Frontier mine project, a truck-and-shovel oil sands mine in northern Alberta. According to Teck, the new mine would be developed responsibly, “incorporating best practices for environmental protection, tailings management, water use, and managing greenhouse gases.”

The project intended to create about $70 billion in federal revenue and to provide 7000 construction jobs and 2500 operating jobs. Teck Resources Limited consulted and received consent from 14 Indigenous communities in the surrounding area.

But turn your attention to a key word in this column’s title: “was.” On the evening of February 23, Teck withdrew its application for the project.

Why? CEO Don Lindsey wrote in his letter to the federal Environment Minister that “the promise of Canada’s [natural resource production] potential will not be realized until governments can reach agreement around how climate policy considerations will be addressed in the context of future responsible energy sector development.” Teck’s decision hit hard for the communities who were counting on jobs, and people were quick to point fingers.

The Liberal Party took a lot of heat for the project’s cancellation. Some Canadians (particularly the Conservative Party) blame the current instability in Canada’s political climate. Other parties believe Teck’s decision was based on the global market price for oil.

The public reaction to the project and its cancellation exists on a wide spectrum. Many are disappointed by the loss of potential jobs and federal income. Others celebrate the decision as a win for climate action, as the project would have increased CO2 emissions in Canada.

Last year’s apartment application for Trinity Western University (TWU) students was “a bit of a fiasco,” according to Kelvin Gartly, Director of Operations and Planning for Student Life at TWU.

Options to live on-campus at TWU are growing limited, specifically if you are interested in the autonomy and independence that an apartment provides. McMillan, Fraser, Jacobson, Skidmore, and Northwest apartments all have their infamous highlights and dramatic downfalls—but for some students the challenge is finding an apartment in the first place.

TWU’s growing undergraduate student population has put pressure on the apartment application process in recent years: the limited number of spots, despite two new buildings, required a new selection system.

The apartment application was moved online last year, in an effort to make the process simpler for students and staff. But the software used could not handle everything it was asked to. “We had to scrap that [process], because it didn’t work,” Gartly explains. Individuals then applied for apartments online individually, and groups of students filled out paper applications afterward for placements. This partially onlinepartially offline process has not changed for the current apartment applications.

But the changes to apartment applications last year did not end with the attempted move online. It was also the first year using a new priority system to determine which groups chose apartments first. Many students, however, were not aware of this.

Without a “sense of what to expect,” Gartly says, many met their housing assignments with disappointment or shock.

In previous years, all group selection priorities were based on the number of credit hours the individuals in a specific group had, added together. “As housing became tighter,” Gartly explains, “we realized that maybe we were not serving some of our students the best through that system.”

national students just put [TWU] as their address,” as though their families lived in Langley. Instead of receiving priority to choose apartments, some students who lived overseas were informed that they lived close enough to commute.

The second factor in the priority algorithm is year of study, with more advantage given to third and fourth years than fifth years, to allow third years to stay on campus if a place in dorms is not available.

The third factor is Student Leadership. All leadership roles will be given equal points, but the roles must be determined by the time that apartment applications close.

The final factor for determining priority is the age of the students in question.

After the problems of last year’s applications, Gartly is hopeful. It is, however, a hope tinged with disappointment. “It sort of feels like it will be hard to not be better than last year. We were very frustrated with it, too.”

Gartly explains that a large part of improving this process involves feedback from students as the priority system shifted.

Student Life has asked focus groups of students for their opinions on the specific criteria and process used for apartment applications.

“Of course students care about these criteria . . . but their biggest frustration, they said, was that it seemed to happen without them knowing about [the change] or how it was applied.” Without knowledge of the criteria, students did not know what to expect or how to plan for it. All priority information is now available in a PDF accessible from the online apartment application.

This improvement of communication is a strong step forward. “We sort of feel like we have a good idea of how to serve students best,” Gartly says, “but why not ask them?”

Instead of credit hours, the first consideration is now distance from campus. Any students with the ability to commute from their family home will not “earn points” for their permanent address in the algorithm to determine priority.

Last year, this priority faced problems: “One of the glitches was that some inter-

“NEUFELD COMPSCI LAB” - LUCY CHUANG

“ IT

SORT OF FEELS LIKE IT WILL BE HARD TO NOT BE BETTER THAN LAST YEAR. WE WERE VERY FRUSTRATED WITH IT, TOO.”

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CLASS AND PARASITE REES MORGAN

A characteristic of excellent art is its ability to reflect contemporary culture in all its absurdity. Parasite, Bong Joon Ho’s latest film, captures the struggles of the economic class divide in a way most contemporary works have not, opting to avoid the good versus evil dichotomy that usually seems forced. Proletariat characters are manipulative and cunning while aristocratic characters are vapid and entitled. By the end of the film one ends up hating everyone, but one also gains a sense of empathy toward all of their characteristics.

Parasite showcases the class divide not as the result of aristocratic humans who make evil decisions—God knows anyone can and does make evil decisions. Rather, the horrendous divide in class between the two sets of characters is portrayed as a result of systematic injustice. The proletariat characters are quite a bit smarter and harder working than the aristocratic characters, but due to circumstances out

of anyone’s control, the proletariat’s place in society is well below that of the aristocratic characters.

A film with a message like Parasite’s would have never been produced within a major American publication house. It does not play the sympathetic “underdog” card and its overall message is too bleak. However, it strikes at the heart of the unrest in the current zeitgeist. The box office success this film had in America should not be surprising.

Our cultural moment yearns for a degree of honesty in the media; the public is over superficiality. Parasite is a mirror of reality—and while the events that transpire are exaggerated and fictitious, the undercurrents behind them are based on this reality. This honest portrayal of the absurdity of contemporary culture is the reason why Parasite was the first international film in history to win Best Picture at the traditionally Americentric Academy Awards.

UNDERNEATH THE NOTHING`

CONTENT WARNING: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, BOJACK HORSEMAN SPOILERS

EMMETT HANLY

A cartoon horse changed my life.

I’ve spent six years following BoJack Horseman on Netflix, having binged each new season as soon as it is released. Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the animated series tells the story of an anthropomorphic horse living in Hollywood. BoJack (voiced by Will Arnett) is a washed-up actor coasting through life on a fortune he made by working on a sitcom in the 90s. The first season initially comes across as a typical adult animated show: crass and surface-level. However, once you hit the final two episodes of the season, the tone shifts from spoof to surreal nightmare as the eponymous horse (pun intended) sends his life into a downward spiral, ultimately directing the series towards what it became famous for: a darkly comedic exploration of fame, addiction, and depression.

The show makes it clear that BoJack is not meant to be admired; he repeatedly sabotages his own life, and the people who cross paths with him are the collateral. Nobody should look up to this character as a role model, and the series revolves around whether or not BoJack is forgivable. However, as the show goes on, we see cycles of recurring progression and regression, and many people (myself included) have found him to be profoundly relatable in his experience with mental health. I have wrestled with anxiety and depression, and after watching BoJack navigate his messy life, I have found myself introspecting and realizing necessary and sometimes painful truths about my own life and behaviour.

Except . . . Diane did get better.

The final scene of the show ends with BoJack and Diane sitting on a rooftop. She expresses that, while she does not quite trust her happiness, she is willing to take a chance on it this time. While BoJack’s life is still a mess, he too has found some peace in sobriety. I cannot promise BoJack Horseman will have the same effect on everyone who watches it, but this conclusion brought some kind of catharsis I had been looking for.

As strange as it may seem, I find myself able to process and articulate my experience with mental illness more clearly because of this show.

It is an exquisite example of how the skeletons in our closets can rear their ugly heads and consume us long after we think we have cleaned them out. The feelings of loneliness, pain, and sadness come back, and once again you become the person you didn’t like being. Yet, life goes on. The bad times are equally transient, and every rough day is always followed by just another day. Healing isn’t linear, but every step forward counteracts a step back. Eventually, we find a way to flip over the nothing, and underneath the nothing, there is growth. We learn to trust the happiness when it comes.

The sixth episode of season four, for example, begins with BoJack’s inner monologue. He constantly berates himself with harsh language in his own mind, putting himself down for the smallest, most meaningless actions. In the moments when his inner monologue takes over, the animation shifts to a crude childlike caricature, with unstable lines depicting BoJack throwing himself in the trash while every worst case scenario plays out. It may sound rather simple, but until I saw this, I had never seen a piece of media so accurately portray depression as I have experienced it, especially how I was feeling in late 2017 when that episode first aired.

When I saw that episode, I could see myself. If this is what BoJack is feeling, then it must also be what some writer felt or at least understood on a personal level to be able to articulate it so well. If someone else felt it the same way that I did, then I am not alone.

One of the most resonant aspects of BoJack’s final season was its exploration of depression. Diane (voiced by Alison Brie), who has been a close friend to BoJack despite their rather tumultuous relationship, wants to write a memoir about her trauma because she feels like if she does not write about it, then it was all for nothing in the end. However, she cannot even start writing, as she is unable to get out of bed some days. She fears changing because many of her attempts to make other people better have not gone well. When she acknowledges her feelings of inadequacy, BoJack recommends she gets help. She responds by saying “sure, or you just flip over the nothing, and underneath there is more nothing.” When you feel worthless, it’s hard to see the point of having hope that change will ever come. Once again, I find myself in this story, fearing that the idea of “getting better” isn’t possible, so why waste time trying?

“ WHEN

I SAW THAT EPISODE, I COULD SEE MYSELF. IF THIS IS WHAT BOJACK IS FEELING, THEN IT MUST ALSO BE WHAT SOME WRITER FELT OR AT LEAST UNDERSTOOD ON A PERSONAL LEVEL TO BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE IT SO WELL. IF SOMEONE ELSE FELT IT THE SAME WAY THAT I DID, THEN I AM NOT ALONE.”

“THE RIPE STENCH OF CAPITALISM EVERYWHERE” - NYSSA MORGAN

8

SAMC PRESENTS: THE TEMPEST NYSSA MORGAN

From a world where spirits roam, reality is elusive, and illusion abounds, comes a play packed with mischief, mystery, and mayhem. Lovers, conjurors, ship-wrecked wanderers, and raging winds come to Trinity Western University’s (TWU) stage in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, as presented by the School of Arts, Media, and Culture (SAMC).

After being banished by her own sister from her dukedom in Milan, the sorcerer Prospera and her daughter Miranda were left for dead, marooned in the middle of the sea. Miraculously, they landed on an island full of spirits and magic where they were able to survive despite the odds stacked against them. Twelve years later, a ship appears on the horizon carrying those who robbed Prospera of her throne.

Conjuring up a fierce storm with her magical powers, Prospera destroys the ship, strands her enemies, and relishes in her opportunity for revenge. These ship-wrecked wanderers are led through a supernatural dream where reality itself is turned on

its head. Prospera’s sister, Antonia, plots to kill the king of Naples, drunken fools become masters to a fish-like monster, and a forlorn prince fights to win the heart of the girl he loves, all in a day’s time.

Eventually, all must choose between power and freedom—the latter of which may only be possible through reconciliation and forgiveness. Prospera struggles to find balance between exacting revenge and finding peace. Will she free herself from the bonds of betrayal and anger or will she give in to her tempestuous rage?

In The Tempest, one of his final masterpieces, Shakespeare effortlessly combines elements of comedy, tragedy, romance, and magic into a story of revenge and redemption. Come enter this enchanting world, running from March 17-28 onstage in Freedom Hall. For more information, visit www.twu.ca/theatre.

IS NORTH AMERICA’S HIGH CONTEXT CULTURE DEGRADING COMMUNICATION OR MAXIMIZING EFFICIENCY? LIV WALTON

In 1976, Edward T. Hall, an American anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher published Beyond Culture, introducing the idea of high versus low context cultures and how their corresponding characteristics affect the way a group communicates. There are countless cultures present in North America, however, the standard view is that North America’s culture is low context. But with the rise of social media, we have seen that Millennials and Generation Z are adapting to a higher context style of communication. Is this growing context degrading to the culture of communication or maximizing the overall efficiency thereof?

Low context cultures are oriented around putting the bottom line upfront using explicit verbal communication. They value tasks and accomplishments over the longevity of investments in both personal and professional domains. These cultural characteristics speak to the classic American dream, which values workplace success and ownership above almost everything else.

High context cultures, as the name implies, rely heavily on context. One cannot walk into a high context setting without understanding the background. These cultures are collectivist, value relationships, and are usually impermeable or semi-permeable.

These specific cultural characteristics have strong ties to the online communities that have sprouted up in the past decade. This same high context culture is also what made a picture of a single

egg universally hilarious. Communication in high context culture settings is extremely efficient. High context communication is ideal for visually-oriented platforms like social media, advertising, memes, and texting. Since today’s main method of interaction is so virtual, communication needs to be streamlined for clarity and adaptability. This is also due to the fact that this trend in communication is limited in its space and scope. People do not want to spend moments of their everyday lives reading complicated words; everyone wants the information quickly and on command.

Though this simplification of communication can be seen as a more versatile form of communication that is easier for everyone, it also takes away from the art of communication.

Those growing up in this high context culture might find it hard to expand on a research topic or attempt to cover the broad spectrum that one idea encapsulates. Words give humanity the ability to articulate newness and significance. If this medium is taken away or drastically limited by culture, it will make everyday interactions systematic—casual conversations will begin to seem more like a startup pitch than a genuine human interaction.

Over the last few decades, business and interpersonal relations have expanded to transcend political and cultural boundaries. As the way humans communicate continues to evolve, the world can expect to see further shifts in the culture of communication.

“BOYS’ DORMS IN DOUGLAS” - SAM TWIST

9

DON’T SLEEP ON THE RAPTORS TYLER JONES

The final quarter of the twentieth century saw massive growth throughout North America’s major sporting leagues. In accordance with this trend, significant development took place in the NBA as the league expanded from 23 organizations in 1981 to 30 teams by 2002. While notable American basketball markets such as Miami and Minnesota were added within this timeframe, the most interesting case from these years is the NBA’s expansion into Canada.

The NBA’s Canadian experiment began in 1993 with the introduction of the Toronto Raptors, followed by the creation of the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1994. While professional basketball was garnering excitement throughout the nation, the shortcomings of these two young franchises were painfully evident on the court. In Canada’s inaugural NBA season of 1995, basketball fans witnessed the Raptors post an abysmal record of 21-61 while the Grizzlies fell even lower, finishing last in the NBA with a 15-67 record. The Grizzlies had quickly become the laughingstock of the NBA, as the franchise consistently made poor decisions that put it further and further away from its goal to build a competent NBA team. While some may disagree with that sentiment, the numbers certainly do not: the 6-year existence of the Vancouver Grizzlies concluded with an embarrassing winning percentage of .219.

Due to a series of woeful decisions made by the Grizzlies’ management, Vancouver’s not-so-beloved NBA franchise was free-falling out of favour while the Toronto Raptors were beginning to take off. After many years in the pits of the NBA, the Raptors began to acquire key players who took massive strides of improvement in Toronto. Led by Vince Carter, Antonio Davis, and Tracy McGrady, Toronto went on to secure its first playoff berth in the 1999-2000 season. This entrance into the playoffs, combined with Vince Carter’s exciting rookie campaign drew significant interest in Toronto and throughout Canada, as well.

Though disaster had struck in Vancouver, Canadians’ hopes for NBA success were high and placed directly on the Raptor’s jersey-clad shoulders.

After the departure of Vince Carter, however, the Raptors continually struggled to find a formula for dominance within the NBA. Whether it was Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, or Rudy Gay, the Raptors struggled to find an identity that would cement its relevancy. From 2003 to 2013, the team had only reached the playoffs twice. As a result, doubt was beginning to shroud Canada’s hope in the Raptors’ capacity to ever establish itself as a competitive institution in the NBA. This narrative began to shift when Masai Ujiri, the Raptor’s newly acquired general manager, carried out a series of tactical decisions. The Raptors have been incredibly successful ever since his arrival. As a result of Ujiri’s hiring, the Raptors have reached the playoffs for six consecutive seasons. In the 2018-2019 season the Raptors franchise went on to win its first NBA championship, with the help of Kawhi Leonard and spectacular coaching by Nick Nurse, a feat which shocked the world. Until the Raptors reached the pinnacle of the NBA, American sports analysts consistently doubted this organization for what seemed to be only one reason: being Canadian.

Major sports media icons, including Skip Bayless, Colin Cowherd, Stephen A. Smith, and Paul Pierce were extremely cynical.

Every chance that these sports personalities had to verbalize their doubts towards the Raptors’ likelihood of winning a playoff series, or an NBA championship, they did so, emphatically.

As expected, the most outrageous opinions on the Raptors came from Bayless on a segment of Fox’s Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, Bayless claimed that the Raptors did not deserve to participate in the Eastern Conference Finals. Bayless went on to claim that the series between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors was as good as over following the Raptors’ loss to the Bucks in game one. It did not matter whether the team was behind or ahead, the Raptors team was belittled the entire way to securing its first championship.

After losing Kawhi Leonard, one of the greatest players in today’s NBA, American media was very quick to rejoice over the suspected troubles that the Raptors would encounter in the season that followed. Stephen A. Smith even went on ESPN’s First Take to state that he never wanted to see the NBA Championship find itself in Canada ever again. Even though many Raptors fans were willing to concede their beloved basketball team’s playoff chances, the Raptors battled back in impressive fashion.

By asserting itself as one of the best teams in the league this season, the Raptors officially turned this narrative upside-down.

Whether it be Smith’s apology to the Raptors or an overall grant of respect from the majority of NBA fans, this team deserves a massive outpouring of recognition. After all, it has battled adversity throughout its entire existence.

The 2018-2019 NBA season sheds light on an unfortunate narrative that must be removed from basketball culture. While the game has historically been ruled by American players and organizations, an undeniable shift has taken place in the league.

Bringing the NBA Championship to Toronto has not only improved basketball’s relevance in Canada, but has demanded respect towards Canadian basketball as a whole.

While the ball is in the court of America’s hottest NBA teams, Canada will be savouring every moment of being the reigning NBA Champions while continually proving people wrong. See you on the court, U. S. of A.

“ AS

THE RAPTORS WOULD EXPECT SOME RESPECT IN RETURN FOR REACHING THE PINNACLE OF NBA, AMERICAN SPORTS ANALYSTS HAVE CONSTANTLY DOUBTED THIS ORGANIZATION FOR WHAT SEEMED TO BE ONE REASON: BEING CANADIAN.”

“GREEN HALL WHEN BRAEDON FARTS” - EMMETT HANLY

MY BODY REMEMBERS WHAT MY BRAIN NEEDED TO FORGET: The Reality of Surviving Eighteen Years of Childhood Incest and Sex Trafficking Abuse

TRIGGER WARNING: CHILDHOOD INCEST, EMOTIONAL/PHYSICAL ABUSE, MENTAL HEALTH, CHRONIC DISEASE, ABLEISM.

From birth, I was raised with the disorienting and toxic belief that my value and worth were measured by what my body provided others. The body of the newborn, who could not be the mender of the brokenness nor healer of the loneliness of their sick mother. The body of the toddler, who teased the desires of their sociopathic father.

The body of the child, who grew up triggering the trauma that their mother endured, as her husband’s lust grew and denied her of yearned companionship. The body of the adolescent, who could never perfect their existence enough to prevent the rage in their mother’s words or fist, and only partially satisfied their father by enduring rape several times a week from both his body and foreign objects. The body of the teen, who was trafficked to other men, filmed by their sadistic father, and eventually crashed under the weight of a crippling genetic neurological disease activated by the chronic state of survival they all existed in. The body of the isolated, high-school dropout, victim who was manipulated into becoming a drug addict to keep them quiet and more malleable. The body of the 18-year-old, who ran.

SKYLER WEINBERG

My body was raped, emotionally manipulated, commodified, abandoned, broken, and ultimately destroyed by my parents. My story is rare, one that most of the world is not accustomed to hearing outside the odd news story or click-bait article, and has resulted in roles which highlight the toxicity of “inspiration porn” and the privilege of whiteness. I am responsible for carrying pain that most people will never fully realize exists, and with account to those aforementioned privileges, I have also had the opportunity to learn that nothing will ever truly take it away. There is no recovering from 18 years of incest, physical and mental abuse, drug addiction, and sex trafficking. There are simply, solely, two options: heal or survive.

Those with the privilege aforementioned usually fall on an oscillating, complex scale between heal and survive for the rest of their lives—a scale of understanding and development which expands over time alongside their access to sustainable security, safety, and healing resources. However, like any former addict will tell you, recovery includes relapse, and the very same goes for trauma healing. Survivors of any trauma can heal in powerful ways, but interwoven into this powerful reclamation of autonomy rests the reality of relapse back into states/patterns/actions of survival. When one sustains a trauma, which is defined as anything outside a human’s ability to cope, the sympathetic nervous system (our survival state) kicks in. This is both ingenious and detrimental because the reality is that survival, which is meant to be an emergency measure, shifts into a locked position and instead becomes the body’s natural resting point. We adapt to this chronic state of stress, and become comfortable operating from within it, because we relied on it to survive the impacts of our trauma. Whether utilized for a short period, or uninterrupted for years, this survival state becomes comfortable, even when it produces additional harm.

Survivors are experts at surviving. Therefore, the systemic expectation for us to return to “normal” life after life has been redefined by an event, or recurrent assault from the system, is severely un-trauma informed. Trauma impacts every cell of the body; our brains are changed because of it. So, there is no returning to—there is only forced assimilation which innately necessitates the activation of the sympathetic nervous system our traumas kicked into overdrive. Wounds heal, even invisible ones, but their impression leaves a residual mark. The unjust and unfair reality of experiencing abuse, whether recurring or not, is that it does leave a residual mark and there is no magic eraser for it.

For those who desperately need to hear it: you are not unforgivable if you have slid back into survival. I know why survival is comfortable, and I do not blame you for the chaos it stirs up. There should be no demand upon us to return to life until we are truly able, but I understand that this is not the reality for the majority of survivors.

When there are additional obstacles of systemic racism, oppression, ableism, classism, poverty, and injustice, chronic survival is justified. The cost and consequences of such chronic survival states still exist, and I cannot absolve any one of us from them, but we are not unforgivable. We are not unloveable. We are not unworthy. We are not inhuman.

The privilege of escape, the privilege of exiting abuse, means we have more autonomous options now where before we had none. It takes our entire new lives to relearn this, and will always be an individual journey, but I hope more than anything that my work in this world continues to bring forward these important discussions on the realities of life after abuse and the complexities of our battles. Our suffering is unfair, but our autonomy and truth should be advocated for by more than just us.

I believe you, because I have had the rare opportunity to believe me. You are not alone in what you face, even if the only person who knows is you.

12

WHOSE LAND IS IT ANYWAY EMMETT HANLY

The ongoing situation involving the Wet’suwet’en First Nations and Coastal GasLink (CGL) in northern BC is nothing if not complex. Solidarity movements have formed blockades and occupied different spaces across the country, seeking to cause the maximum amount of economic disruption until the demands of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs are met. However, the federal and provincial governments of Canada have resisted these actions, insisting that the “rule of law” must be followed for our society to function.

However, the rule of law is not as cut and dry as one would hope.

While the Supreme Court of BC granted CGL an injunction order that gave them a legal right to build a natural gas pipeline through Wet’suwet’en territory, the 1997 Delgamuukw v. British Columbia case established that the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs have Aboriginal title and therefore must provide consent to any proposed developments over the roughly 22 000 square kilometres of unceded territory that the pipeline would run right through. Further, BC was the first province to implement legislation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which specifies the importance of free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples in relation to development on their lands. The Wet’suwet’en people themselves also have their own set of laws, in which trespassing upon their territory is considered a grave offence.

In the first few weeks of February, the RCMP enforced an injunction obtained by CGL and dismantled blockades on Wet’suwet’en lands to allow the company’s workers access to the territory. In an effort to enforce the injunction, they arrested protesters and actively kept journalists out of the area when the initial raid took place. The RCMP have continually occupied the territory for the past month. It appears that when commercial law comes into conflict with Indigenous rights, corporate interest trumps the Canadian legal precedence.

However, many have argued that while the hereditary chiefs hold jurisdiction, they are not acting in the interests of all Wet’suwet’en people. In fact, CGL was able to get 20 benefit agreements signed by elected band councils along the pipeline route.

Is it possible that the majority of Indigenous people actually want the pipeline? Well, it still is not that simple.

These 20 band councils come from other First Nations and do not represent the Wet’suwet’en. To lump all Indigenous groups along the pipeline route together serves to muddle and homogenize very diverse groups of people. It is equivalent to building a pipeline from Spain to Germany without asking France. On top of this, many of the bands were pressured to sign on by CGL. The Nak’azdli people felt that plans to build the pipeline would proceed regardless of their consent so they would at least be better off if they were at the table, as reported by Brandi Morin

in Canada’s National Observer. In addition, certain clauses within leaked agreements drawn up by CGL state that band councils would be obligated to quell any voices of dissent on social media within their own nations and insist that the consent they give at the time of agreement is utterly irrevocable.

Not every band that signed on did so under duress; many bands still actively advocate for the pipeline. To others, however, the pipeline was presented as an offer they could not refuse. CGL framed it as the biggest and only break for these band councils to lift their people out of poverty, echoing the coercion tactics of a historical white saviour complex. Cycles of violence repeat themselves as colonizers attempt to “civilise the local savages” with the inevitable and infallible introduction of industry. They erect a massive phallic symbol on Indigenous traditional lands, and expect to be not only thanked but lauded for it.

Ultimately, while it is true that CGL did receive permission to build the pipeline from five out of six elected band chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en, the band chiefs only have jurisdiction over the land set aside for them in reserves by the Indian Act and not the wider traditional territory as defined by the Delgamuukw case.

When the hereditary chiefs made their opposition to the pipeline clear, CGL attempted to circumvent their authority by gaining approval from the Indian Act band councils instead, many of which have been historically underfunded across Canada. That said, the band chiefs and the hereditary chiefs are not necessarily opposed in the way presented by the media. Although they are going about it in different ways, their singular goal is to benefit the entire Wet’suwet’en nation.

In fact, the wider aim of the hereditary chiefs extends further beyond this specific pipeline. They wish to be recognized by the government of Canada as their own separate decolonized government. The Wet’suwet’en nation is exactly that: a nation. They wish to be addressed as such. This sovereignty is why the hereditary chiefs have refused to further negotiate with CGL and are insisting on meeting with the premier and the prime minister themselves. They are making a statement that they are not simply another interest group within the Canadian melting pot, but a sovereign nation that never agreed to become a minority in their own homeland. Their actions can thus be recontextualized: they are not a single dissenting voice ignoring the “rule of law” along a pipeline route. The Wet’suwet’en are their own people with their own agency. They wish to engage in nation-to-nation diplomacy rather than Canada’s current approach of nation-over-nation.

“MY ROOM” - GABRIELLE TEHYA

13

THE 300: WHITE SUPREMACIST IMAGERY AT TWU KIERAN WEAR

The bare chested—and oddly un-sunburnt—white man cuts a striking pose. Then, in a strangely Scottish accent, he screams some nationalistic slogan about his country and kicks a black man down a well.

Even as a deeply conservative Montanan, this was a somewhat alarming scene for my 12-year-old self. Upon recollection, it is more than just alarming—and indeed, Zach Snyder’s 300 does not stop there—presenting a narrative in which a small, organized troop of white men keep a ravenous horde of brown men at bay. What is at stake in this terrible film? Ostensibly, it is the autonomy of Greece. But it is not just a smattering of Mediterranean city-states that are being threatened. Rather, Snyder is participating in a long-held narrative that pits Western civilization against the supposedly terrifying, invariably racialized “other.” Inasmuch as Trinity Western University (TWU) maintains a “Spartans” athletics program, we are participating in the same.

Sparta, and specifically the Battle of Thermopylae, has been used as a cultural rallying point for millennia. From Rousseau to Churchill to the Three Percenters—a far right anti-Muslim militia that is growing in Canada—Western love of Sparta is widespread enough to have received a name: Laconophilia. A famous Laconophile, Adolf Hitler, said of Sparta, “[t]he exposure of the sick, weak, deformed children, in short, their destruction, was more decent and in truth a thousand times more human than the wretched insanity of our day which preserves the most pathological subject.” Tales of death for those who might not be fit to serve the state are widely disseminated about Sparta, then, not to temper Laconophilia, but as instances that prove Spartan “purity.” We might do well, then, to remember Sparta, not for a nationalistic stand against occupation, but rather for its eugenics program. After all, that was Hitler’s takeaway.

But what really is the connection between Sparta and white supremacy? There are reasons beyond a disconcerting connection to the Holocaust that ought to compel TWU to change our iconography. These reasons do not rest in Spartan history; rather, they rest in the way that the Spartan ethos is merely an aggravated instance of the general whitewashing of Western history.

Tim Whitmarsh, professor of Greek culture at Cambridge University, writes in “Black Achilles” that “Greeks simply didn’t think of the world as starkly divided along racial lines into black and white: that’s a strange aberration of the modern, Western world . . . ” That is, it is anachronistic to apply modern racialization to Greek cultural artifacts. Whitmarsh continues, writing that ancient Greek culture had such different understandings of race that even when they literally described the skin colour of people, the meaning was completely incongruent with many modern notions of skin tone and ethnic background. Indeed, the average Greek person was certainly not white, in any modern, Western understanding of the word. Despite these facts, whiteness has been inscribed upon Greek and Roman cultures, and this has

been happening since long before a bad Scottish actor was paid to take his shirt off and shout xenophobic slogans for Western audiences. And it all began with statues.

During the Renaissance, a craze for Greek and Roman civilization led to the unearthing of many statues from these periods.

The problem? Their paint had come off. Glorying in the pasty white marble underneath, early modern Europeans reified what has become a long history of beauty standards that are not just precursors to, but precipitators of, Nazi white supremacy.

In The History of White People, Princeton University history professor Emerita Nell Irvin Painter reflects on the role of bleached statuary in forming the white beauty myth. She writes that, for Europeans in power who used white statues as a measuring stick for beauty, “[c]olor in sculpture came to mean barbarism, for they assumed that the lofty ancient Greeks were too sophisticated to color their art.” However, as the beautiful Gods in Color demonstrates, among manifold scholarly works, Greek and Roman statuary was brilliantly painted, and certainly not white.

Rebecca Futo Kennedy, a Classics professor at Denison University, writes, “[a] narrative of a monoethnic and monochromatic Classical world is demonstrably false and, frankly, boring.” Let us, then, be clear: Western civilization is not white. Western civilization has never been white. However, white supremacists— and universities who participate in white supremacy by participating in white supremacist propaganda—have revised history to fit their needs, and they continue to do so, through a mixture of anachronistic beauty standards and Laconophilia.

I would not have a problem with us being Spartans if Spartan rhetoric avoided xenophobia, but it does not. I would not have a problem with us being Spartans if this symbology were not tied to blatantly ableist Holocaust rhetoric, but it is. I would not have a problem with us being Spartans if such were not key rallying symbols in extant white supremacist hate groups, but they are.

These observations are not radical. Indeed, this article is making a banal claim. Knowingly participating in the symbology of white supremacy is a moral evil. There is no place for TWU to take part in white supremacist culture-war rhetoric. In particular, as a Christian university, we would do well to be nervous about anything that smacks of ethnic cleansings and white hegemony (consider the Crusades, Papal Bull of 1493, and Residential Schools, etc.) that we then chant in athletic events and smear over our marketing campaigns. We have an obligation, not to reclaim this irredeemable symbology, but to tear it out of our discourse, no matter the cost to our branding.

“ WESTERN

CIVILIZATION IS NOT WHITE. WESTERN CIVILIZATION HAS NEVER BEEN WHITE.”

“WOMEN’S WASHROOM NEXT TO THE CAF” - MADISON STENNER

BUILDING CROSSWORD SEARCH

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CLASSROOM ATRIUM DOUGLAS BATHROOM BELL TOWER FRASER CLASSROOM GYM DOUGLAS JACOBSON FRASER GYM KUHN COMPLEX JACOBSON LOUNGE KUHN COMPLEX LOUNGE LYNN SZABO LYNN SZABO

NORTHWEST

MARLIE SNIDER PARKING NEUFELD NORMA ROBERT N THOMPSON NORTHWEST ROBSON PARKING SEAL KAP ROBERT N THOMPSON ROBSON SKIDMORE SEAL KAP SODEXO SKIDMORE SODEXO THE WELL THE WELL

16

TATTOO SPOTLIGHT: SAM ROSENAU

MARS’ HILL: WHAT TATTOOS DO YOU HAVE?

MH: ANY FUTURE TATTOOS ON THE HORIZON?

SAM ROSENAU: I have eight tattoos: a tree, a King Krule lyric, a rose, μαθητής, a quote from John’s gospel, a circle, a white flag, and a sentiment for my mum which she drew and I tattooed over.

SR: ‫ץֶרָ֑א־יִדְסָיְּב ָתיִיָ֖ה הֹ֣פיֵא‬, which means: “learn ancient languages before you put them on your body.”

MH: WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE? WHERE DID YOU GET IT DONE AND WHO WAS YOUR ARTIST? SR: Although I love my rose tattoo, my Greek tat, μαθητής, would be my favourite. It was done by yours truly, along with every other one besides my rose.

MH: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? SR: Μαθητής, meaning disciple, exists to signify, well, discipleship, and its life-long quality despite real, crippling disbelief. I got it at the height of my relationship with Jesus, thinking at the time that my belief in him was bulletproof, and that I would only move forward in my life and in my faith; it functioned as an indication of celebration and exultation. Well, to no surprise, it didn’t pan out that way, and it often doesn’t. But the tattoo itself has evolved in its significance in a more real way than I could have anticipated.

It communicates that discipleship, if it is to be a journey, will have bumps, and swamps, and scrambles, and climbs, instilling in you the inspiration to forsake and forego what you have agreed to prior. But inherent to this difficult journey is the underlying need to press on and persist despite the fatigue of travel. And so μαθητής to me is a commitment to endure and perhaps one day flourish in the complicated venture of discipleship.

MH: WAS IT A SPUR OF THE MOMENT DECISION OR SOMETHING YOU HAD PLANNED FOR A WHILE? SR: I was in the library, drew it on my arm, loved it, and went to my dorm to do it; so, the former.

MH: SO YOU MENTIONED YOU ARE A STICK-AND-POKE ARTIST YOURSELF—HOW DID THAT GET STARTED? SR: Oh man. A dude who doesn’t even go here anymore wanted one on his wrist and I offered to do it without any experience.

It looked absolutely wretched, but it kick-started me into doing some actually good ones down the road.

MH: DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PIECE YOU HAVE DONE ON SOMEONE ELSE? SR: Hard to pick. I gave Mark Kramm an entire calf piece consisting of a portion of the Westminster Shorter Catechism and a huge ass cross. I also gave Jared Martens a lemon, which could also be a football.

“IN THE CATACOMBS” - QUEENIE RABANES

17

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: TRAVIS VERVEDA

“ I’M

VERY EXCITED FOR OUR TEAM’S MOVE TO USPORTS FOR MULTIPLE REASONS. THE CHALLENGES THAT WILL BE PRESENTED ON TOP OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP OUR PROGRAM ON A GRANDER SCALE WILL DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTE TO BRINGING MORE RECOGNITION TO TWU.”

MARS’ HILL: WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR JUNIOR HOCKEY CAREER? Travis Verveda: One highlight that stands out from my junior career was an OT [overtime] win our team, the Kamloops Blazers, secured over the Portland Winterhawks in my rookie season. In front of over 14 000 Portland fans, I started against future NHL players, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nic Petan. Playing against that calibre of players was really scary. One of my other favourite stories from my junior career is when I played against the Red Deer Rebels at their arena. Since my family and friends live close to Red Deer, I was able to play in front of all of them while competing against the team I grew up watching.

MH: TELL US WHAT LIFE IS LIKE IN YOUR HOMETOWN OF ALIX, ALBERTA. TV: Life in Alix is pretty low-key. It is a very small town, so it offers a unique lifestyle when compared to living in a big city.

Our family is very fortunate to be located quite close to a lake, so we do a lot of boating activities like wake surfing and water skiing in the summer.

MH: WHAT LED YOU TO JOINING THE TWU MEN’S HOCKEY TEAM? TV: I knew the former Spartans’ captain, Kaleb Denham, from my time playing hockey in Red Deer. He was the first person to tell me about TWU and the opportunities that were here. I came here on a recruiting trip and after seeing the awesome facilities and meeting the guys on the hockey team I was definitely leaning towards playing here for my university hockey career. In addition, small class sizes and escaping the -40°C weather of Alberta definitely played a part in my choice to join this team.

MH: AS YOU HAVE PERFORMED INCREDIBLY WELL IN YOUR FIRST TWO SEASONS IN THE BCIHL, HOW DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR TEAM’S TRANSITION TO USPORTS HOCKEY NEXT SEASON? TV: I’m very excited for our team’s move to USPORTS for multiple reasons. The challenges that will be presented on top of this opportunity to develop our program on a grander scale will definitely contribute to bringing more recognition to TWU. Not only will it develop our players and program, but it will also provide more potential for our players to play professional hockey in Europe after their university careers. Even though it’s not going to be easy to make the jump to USPORTS hockey, I plan on training on and off the ice during the off-season in preparation for our inaugural USPORTS season.

“BEHIND NORTHWEST? CUZ THERE’S LITTER EVERYWHERE” - LEAH GOERTZ

18

NEW PARKING PLAN PUT IN PLACE

MADE YOU FLINCH EMMETT HANLY BOO! Haha, I made you flinch, didn’t I? No? You didn’t flinch? Liar. Hmm . . . what else would make you flinch?

NYSSA MORGAN

With construction beginning on the new Robert G. Kuhn Building, the parking lot next to where the tennis courts once stood (RIP) is now fenced off. In an effort to mitigate the concerns over lack of parking spaces from students and faculty, Trinity Western University (TWU) has rolled out a new initiative to reduce the number of cars on campus.

The first phase of this plan involved widening of pre-existing potholes. While the pothole crisis during the 2019-20 academic year was solved by actually filling the potholes behind Jacobson, this year the approach is to leave all potholes and watch them get bigger. Reid Meyers, a second year student, commends TWU administration for this decision: “I’ve always struggled to find spaces close to my dorm, but now that two of my tires fell off while going over a pothole I don’t even need to worry about my car anymore!”

The second phase, which has recently been implemented, features the several speed bumps placed in the lots between Fraser, Skidmore, Robson, and Douglas. Speed bumps require the driver to slow down, which promotes safety for pedestrians. However, these new speed bumps are hard to see and conveniently cause damage to shocks and suspension on vehicles.

*Suddenly waves hand in front of your face* There! Got you! You totally jumped! No, you did, I saw it! You can’t deny it. Aww, come on. I’m just trying to make you flinch.

Umm . . . how about this?

The Earth is dying. The climate is changing faster than anyone has anticipated and we aren’t doing enough to save it. We’re reaching a tipping point, and when it hits, there’s no going back.

Glaciers that are older than recorded history are melting, and because of that, sea levels are quickly rising. Agriculture will be brought to a standstill as the land that was once rich becomes desolate. Entire continents are burning before our eyes, and every day another species faces extinction. Soon, thousands of homes will be destroyed in floods and other extreme weather events. The worst part is, it’s all our fault. We did this through the burning of fossil fuels, mass deforestation, and cattle farming.

We have strangled the atmosphere with our CO2 output and it will have its vengeance. We have doomed ourselves.

Haha, made you flinch.

The final phase will commence over the next few weeks, wherein TWU hopes to deter drivers by randomly towing cars and leaving them in a Denny’s parking lot. When asked which specific Denny’s, the only response from a university representative to our email was a picture of a frog in Tom Holland’s mouth. No further comments from the TWU administration have been made.

LIV WALTON

EMMA DYKSTRA

HANNEKE VOUTE

BRAEDON GROVER SUNNES

“THE POTHOLES. THEY DON’T SMELL, THEY’RE JUST THE WORST” - NYSSA MORGAN

TRINITY F E L LOW S PROGRAM Mentorship. Impact. Vocation.

The new Trinity Fellows Program under the Office of the President enables extraordinary Trinity Western graduates to prepare for a life and career of significant impact. Each year, the program selects only three of Trinity Western’s most promising recent graduates to become Trinity Fellows.

If you are selected for the role, you will be paired with senior leaders in the Office of the President who will mentor you as you engage in meaningful projects of value to the university and suited to your personal gifts. In addition to a competitive salary, you will receive free tuition for selected courses in our signature MA Leadership program, designed to develop your leadership capacity.

Trinity Fellows are people of character, integrity, energy, and talent. They are dynamic, creative, innovative, and are actively seeking God’s call on their lives. They are selfless leaders who serve, inspire, and motivate others. They have demonstrated an ability to make a positive difference, they are on the rise in their careers, and they are ambitious to grow to their full potential.

Selected applicants will receive a paid one-year assignment—with either (1) the President’s Office, (2) External Relations, or (3) GLOBAL—with a start date of May 1, 2020.

PROGRAM COMPENSATION Internships include: • A competitive salary • Master’s level classes in the MA Leadership program

APPLICATION DEADLINE

MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2020

F OR MO RE I N FO RM ATION OR TO APPLY, VISIT WWW.TWU.CA/ FELLOWS