Volume 25 Issue 3: Politica

Politica

Canada, The Oppressor PG. 8

Two Takes on America PG. 10-11

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 03

Epistemic Injustice PG. 13

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MEET THE

TEAM SBR

LETTER FROM THE

EDITOR

Do you ever think about the complete polarization that North America seems to exist in? I would bet that you do. Polarization can be harmful, but acknowledging that it exists, and impacts the democratic dialogue around us is the first step in not only meeting together, but thinking together as a whole. Polarization and unsuccessful discourse is not an issue of thought, but rather delivery. Discourse needs to progress as a cohesive unit of individuals who seek the right thing.

No expertise is required to recognize that some people are inherently bad due to the sinful nature of humanity.

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If you wish to prove a point, be ready for discussion and make sure you are capable of having that conversation. No, I am not talking about preparing facts (even though you should have some of those too), but about mindset. Whatever the discussion centers itself around, there must be a willingness to engage, listen, and press into each other’s thoughts. After all, not everyone is like you. r

My final message is this: do not be a screamer. Be a talker, and an even better listener. You lose all credibility without being able to communicate in a correct manner.

With all that being said, Mars’ Hill is excited for you to join our conversation.

“Yo soy fiesta.” - Rob Gronkowski

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MARS’ HILL

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MEDIA ADVISOR: Loranne Brown 22500 University Drive, Langley Twp, British Columbia, Canada V2Y 1Y1 marshill@gmail.com marshillnewspaper.com IG @marshillnewspaper Twitter @marshillnews facebook.com/marshillnewspaper

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Mars’ Hill is a student publication of Trinity Western University located on the traditional 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.

MISSION TO MARS

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

EDITORIAL POLICY

Mars’ Hill encourages submissions and Letters to the Editor. Mars’ Hill reserves the right to edit submissions for style, brevity, and compatibility with the Mission, 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

Sara Driediger Malar Chandran The [spaces] Team Kianna Wiens Sarah Kate Davis Kevin McCarty Emmett Hanley

Sydney Dvorak Alice Jun Abigail Sefzik Alex Pernsteiner Kieran Clarke Javen Kay

DECLASSIFIEDS SUBMIT YOUR OWN AT MARSHILLNEWSPAPER.COM/DECLASSIFIEDS

any first-year who decided to start university this year, online and during covid, inspires me. im proud of u

Luke Rattray is the best thing to ever happen to Mars hill. I don’t even like sports he’s just hot.

Thanks, Jake Krause!

Hopefully more people will give more respect to the real Mr. Trinity - Luke

How can 4th years be into freshmen. They are literally babies

Tom anton why are u in dorms

My heart belongs to Richard Madden

Are the skater boys wanna be scootie boys?????

Justin Bieber is no longer a Christian after he cheated on Haley in the POPSTAR and Holy music videos.

When my declassified mode turns on I submit like 8 at a time I’m just so funny.

I just can’t wait to be retired

Trinity THOTs are a different breed

I need to get stop distracted

I’m a bit of a slut for caf food. A Sodex-hoe if you will.

missing cavalli walk around with his box still thinking about forsaking all things and becoming a sheepherder in a quiet polish village Is it rude to eat in zoom?

The job of commons assistant is literally to count how many people are in the atrium and to say “we’re at capacity” Andrew Roberts: if you say one more bad thing about Sam Corbett. I will beat you up.

Who is Jackson Howe?

Why does he have a sugar mama?

Dear Wknd Boy: Adventure is out there! Do you have a favourite movie or genre? If you were to describe yourself as a colour ... what would you be? til’ next time =) S/o to twu for actually making the atrium a useable space why aren’t the declassifieds working? know my name: a memoir - chanel miller Are declassifieds working yet?

Abigial do you have a crush on me back?

So glad to see the egg guy is back.

Alternatives to Mars Hill: Venus Mountain Jupiter Hot Takes Spicy Mercury Saturn Slope Uranus Anus Neptune News The Pluto Paper Judges 3:22 is the most important verse You’re the Dr. Morrissey to my Marcus Wang I stg these effing lawn mowers bro I’m tryna play fortnite will I get participation grades if I show up early for busi 176?

Which one is better: the Beatles of Earth Wind and Fire version of Got to Get You Into My Life? Answer in the next declassified.

I sent in a naughty declassified earlier and I apologize for my inappropriate behaviour.

No one: TWU: Lets just take the christmas lights off half the buildings English/Creative Writing 207 is the most enchanting class I have ever taken RELS 271 got me askin some tough questions about life ya know TWU needs a glee club who wants to start one with me

The Bob Kuhn building is cool but can we please get a Toru building ASAP?

When are we gonna get Park N’ Praise again? The last time was amazing!

20 grand a year to drive down a gravel road everyday like i’m in a country song

Fun fact: I’m local and when I was ten y/o my mom would always drive past TWU on the way to dance lessons and I always thought, ‘man what if I went there some day?’

And now I go here. So ten y/o me your dream has come true.

I just wanna be as rich as the kids who live ten minutes away but still live on campus. remember, yous kind yous smart yous important @ whoever stole my box out of storage: Please give it back. That Hudson’s Bay blanket was a gift from my admissions counsellor at my preview weekend I have so little seratonin left in me, I need to use physical objects as reminders for how to feel To the person who sent 11 very emotionally charged declassifieds at 3am on thanksgiving weekend: we hope you’re doing alright -Senior Editing Team of Mars’ Hill Anyone want to play among us with me?

Message: @dorm 1EH 2018-2019: I love and miss you all!

To the students hanging out in groups between Fraser and Skidmore after 11-- please find somewhere else, your voices echo between the buildings making it hard to fall asleep lol words of wisdom from a fourth year: don’t take classes w someone youre dating If anybody is looking for an LGBTQ+ affirming church, go to Gaychurch. org. If you type in your location they’ll give you a list of LGBTQ+ affirming churches in the area.

I used get my homework done back when I had no friends :( what is this

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.

CONTRIBUTOR OF THE ISSUE: SAR A DRIEDIGER WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Born and raised in Abbotsford, B.C. (so original, right).

WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL LATE NIGHT SNACK? A pint of any Ben & Jerry’s Non-dairy ice cream.

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND WANT TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD? I am passionate about living! I was burnt out in ministry settings twice, once at 18 and again at 20.

I totally lost myself in those years and it’s taken a long time to recover. I know how easy it is to forget

about what brings us joy when the world tells us that we need to worship busyness. I want people to know that busyness is a lie, and that there is more to life than to-do lists.

WHAT IS YOUR ON-BRAND ZOOM BACKGROUND? Probably a photo of some baby ducks.

WHY DO YOU WRITE FOR MARS’ HILL? In all honesty, I never would have submitted a piece on my own volition because I decided years ago that I wasn’t a good enough writer to contribute. But a friend reached out asking for me

to write a particular piece and their vote of confidence was the encouragement I needed. The article featured in this edition is close to my heart, and I wrote it to share a piece of my heart with the student body.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ARTICLE YOU’VE WRITTEN FOR MARS’ HILL AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? I loved writing my article on Do Better Church. It was important for me to write this not only as the next step of my healing but for others to know that there is a community that understands their pain.

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NEWS CHERYL WIENS ON THE INTERSECTION OF SCIENCE AND POLITICS GRACE GIESBRECHT

The intersection between science and politics has rocketed to the forefront of the public consciousness in recent months. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown exactly how vital science is in determining public health policy.

Public policy’s reliance on science is not solely a recent product of pandemic policy. Such evidence (science, data, and analysis) is the basis of public policy, from health to housing to climate change. But understanding such science is not a requirement for participation in democracy.

Cheryl Weins, the Green Party of B.C. candidate for the Langley East riding, is a scientist, community organizer, and mother, whose work in politics and activism stems from her understanding of the science behind the policy.

“Over the years, I’ve been noticing a decline in the understanding of science and the respect that we have for science,” Weins says. Weins believes that the erosion of trust in science and evidence is troubling. “It is important to be making policy decisions based on best available evidence.”

Weins felt a personal responsibility to get involved after noticing this decline. Her concern extends beyond her understanding of science and evidence, and the lack of it in society, to the implications it has for the future— and, more specifically, her daughter’s future. “I feel compelled to serve her and protect her future,” Weins says, “but also to create a more promising future for her generation and the generations that come after her.”

Climate change is a prime example of where science and politics can diverge; a fate Weins is working hard against. Powerful, fast-acting action against climate change is a staple of the Green Party’s platform, and it always has been. One of Wein’s earliest moves in climate science was working on a motion for the Township of Langley to declare a climate emergency. Broader, provincial policies include banning fracking and banning any new subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, as well as phasing out existing ones. The fossil fuel industry is harming the planet and the people on it so, “why are we giving a billion dollars a year to an industry that’s killing us?”

Weins asks.

Weins’ ‘first foray’ into politics was not in climate science, but in housing.

As a public housing project began in a repurposed hotel in the Langley area, residents launched an online petition against the project. They feared heightened crime in the area and decreased property values. However, according to Weins, there was no evidence of such risk. “The misinformation in the petition disturbed me,” she says. Weins launched a counter-petition online that gained traction and signatures, and led to her decision to organize, and advocate for this project. Community organizing for this project was Weins’ jumping-off point into politics, and this drive towards evidence-based policy over popular opinion is still evident in her work today.

Housing remains a major issue: In both the Lower Mainland, and across the province as a whole, it is a complicated issue, with no singular solution.

Options for solutions will include, according to Weins, efforts to address the financialization of the housing market, speculation, and regulating short-term rentals. It must also include building more housing to keep up with demand. But there is a right way and a wrong way to handle housing development in Langley.

Langley, particularly East Langley, exists on the boundary of suburbia and rural land in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). Development, including Trinity Western University (TWU)’s district, which pushes into the ALR, takes over previously protected farmland. The trade-off for pushing development into valuable agricultural land is the future of food security. “As climate change progresses, our southern food sources are literally going to dry up. In B.C. we import approximately half of our food,” Weins says with concern. “We need to be very mindful of protecting our farmland.” Though a TWU graduate herself, and though she wants to see the university grow and expand, that growth “cannot come at the cost of food security.”

Instead of suburbs sprawling into farmland, Weins imagines cities of “concentrated, practical communities” where people live much closer to their work. Long freeway commutes would no longer be necessary: “they’re not good for people, and they’re not good for the planet,” Weins says. She smiles, and looks upwards as she imagines the future. She describes infrastructure designed for cycling, large preserved green spaces, and mixed use buildings: “These are the things that excite me.”

Climate action and affordable housing are two of the major issues facing society today. A key element of Wein’s platform is the “idea that we fight climate change and inequality at the same time. It must not just be the green version of what we have now, with such a wide gap between the rich and the poor, where people don’t even have the basic necessities of life.”

COLUMN: FEMINIST NEWS COVID, CONFLICT, AND WOMEN

SYDNEY DVORAK

This month marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security. According to current Secretary-General António Guterres, this resolution “underscore[s] the link between gender inequality and fragility, and between women’s security and international security.”

Secretary-General Gutteres addressed female leaders from the Central African Republic (CAR), Cyprus, Sudan and Mali on October 8 in a virtual meeting on women, peace, and security. Guterres said: “women continue to have to fight for their voices to be heard, despite the mountain of evidence on the correlation between women’s participation and the sustainability of peace,” and that is why women in UN peacekeeping demands “full, equal and meaningful participation.”

This comes during a time when women are “under siege” during the COVID-19 pandemic. All over the world, women are bearing the brunt of economic and medical hardships, all while facing increased levels of domestic abuse and armed conflict.

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Armed conflict and violence disproportionately affect women, and is often perpetrated by men against women. However, it is often women who broker and foster peace when the dust settles.

During the virtual UN meeting, Bintou Founé Samaké, the Minister of Women, Children and Family Affairs in Mali, stated that women are “at the heart of the conflict and should also be at the negotiating table.” Lina Ekomo, part of the CAR Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation, said “the more women are involved, the greater and more visible the impact will be on the communities.”

A few of the action-items centred around women, peace, and security include increasing the number of women in UN uniformed peacekeeping missions, promoting the inclusion of women in peace talks, and providing women economic security and support in the wake of COVID-19.

RYAN WARAWA ON THE B.C. CONSERVATIVES AND THE NEEDS OF LANGLEY EAST

COLUMN: WHAT THE HONK?

EMMA DYKSTRA

The Conservative Party of BC has not had a majority government in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia since 1928: in fact, they have not held a single seat since 1975.

This years’ snap election, however, has brought them back into the picture. While the chances of winning multiple seats are slim, the BC Conservatives have come to life and are sure to take some votes away from the current official opposition.

One of the 19 Conservative candidates running across the province is East Langley’s Ryan Warawa. Warawa is the son of former Member of Parliament, Mark Warawa, who served for Langley-Aldergrove. The much-loved father and politician passed away last year from pancreatic cancer.

Though his father was a very influential figure in politics in Langley for years, Warsaw did not get his political passions simply from his father as many people assume. “I developed my own political activities and what not…although [my father and I] share a lot of the same values,” he says.

Over the years, he has worked for the B.C. Conservatives, serving as vice president, president, regional director, financial agent, campaign manager, riding association president, and now as a candidate. He volunteers at various church locations in Vancouver in ministry programs and mental health advocacy groups. “Mental health has always been a very important issue to me, especially with what happened in my life” he says. “With the isolation of a COVID lockdown, [mental health] was heightened in its importance....I find that when we share each other’s stories, we can learn from each other and that’s something I love doing.” He has also helped with monthly dinners at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral since 2013.

Warawa is very passionate about what the BC Conservatives have to offer in this election.

“The public and political role [of the BC Conservative Party] is to provide an alternative that the three left wing parties are not offering to British Colombians,” he says. Warawa and his fellow Conservatives still think about a time when the province had a tendency to elect conservative party majority governments, proving that it’s not an impossible thing to dream of. Even with small numbers, Warawa sees value in having two MLAs in the legislature. “Can you imagine if the last results of the 2017 election happened, but instead of three Green MLAs you had three Conservatives.” Warawa and his team think voters have a lot to gain by having Conservative representation in the legislature. “I do absolutely see a value in British Columbians electing conservatives this time,” says Warawa. By only running 19 candidates, it’s not mathematically possible for them to win a government in this election, but all it takes is a minimum of two MLAs in the legislature to make some noise. “That’s my hope, that voters would give us a chance in this election to just present the different options,” Warawa states.

Warawa believes that the Conservatives have new ideas and fresh perspective to bring to the table, especially on behalf of the voters in Langley East. Warawa believes real change can happen for Langley East if he is elected. “If voters want to elect a Liberal or New Democrat, chances are they are going to be a backbencher. And this isn’t any slight on them as individuals, it’s just the more real politics of it,” says Warawa. “If they were to elect me as a conservative, [it would] shake things up and I [would] be a very loud voice for Langley East in that legislature.”

One thing Warawa intends to advocate for strongly is public transit. He firmly believes that Langley East is missing out on many of the public transportation benefits that other parts of the Lower Mainland enjoy. “Where is Langley East in the conversation? Everyone here gets to pay 18.5 cents per litre in TransLink taxes, and you all get to pay for the [SkyTrain] Expo Line, Canada Line, Millennium Line, Evergreen Line…are you fine with sending your hard earned tax dollars to TransLink and getting very little in return?”

Warawa also wants to challenge the conversation on agricultural land reserves (ALR). Instead of looking at ALR land for affordable housing, he wants to direct the conversation towards the crown land. “I would like to redirect that conversation into [taking a] look at the crown land and see if we can start looking at that for affordable housing development,” says Warawa. Crown land is owned by the provincial government and makes up 94% of B.C. including shorelines, mountains, and land under rivers and lakes. Affordable housing is another priority for Warawa as it hits a bit closer to home. “I myself don’t fit the stereotypical conservative. I still rent. I still can’t afford to buy a house.” Warawa relates a lot to university students in this regard. “I know it’s hard to get by, in my life I have watched almost all my friends that I grew up with move outside the Lower Mainland and it breaks my heart.” Warawa wants to propose solutions that are not only keeping students closer to their universities, but also helping people stay in the Lower Mainland rather than fleeing to more affordable parts of the country.

The BC Conservatives know that they do not have a shot at winning this election. But considering they have gone up 12 points since the 2017 election, it is a hint that they might have a chance of scoring a seat or two this time around. And if they do, who knows what’s next for the party?

Warawa has big hopes for Langley East and hopes they will consider voting blue this time around. He has big dreams and hopes for fighting for the people of the riding. “For far too long, Langley East has been taken for granted by the Liberals.”

WHAT THE HONK DOES THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT DO? EMMA DYKSTRA

Seeing as we are in the midst of a provincial snap election, now might be a good time to review what provincial governments actually do, and why they are so important.

There are three levels of government: federal, provincial, and municipal. Each level of government has different responsibilities for the part of the country it is in charge of: The federal government makes decisions that affect the whole country, provincial governments make decisions unique to a province’s needs, and municipalities make decisions that affect only the municipality.

Certain areas of life are controlled by these levels.

The provincial government is responsible for regulating universities, public schooling, health care, social services, and road infrastructure, among other things. Provincial agencies also regulate things like alcohol sales, labour regulations, and agricultural marketing. These are items that the federal government has no control over.

Provincial governments are elected relatively the same way federal governments are with the same positions. Each provincial government has a lieutenant-governor who acts as the Crown’s representative in all provincial jurisdictions. The premier and their cabinet hold the same title and responsibility over a province as the prime minister and his cabinet over the country. Instead of a parliament, provinces have legislative assemblies made up of elected officials that approve and create laws for the province.

Your provincial government is vitally important.

While the prime minister makes decisions for the country, your premier’s decisions will affect you even more. Nova Scotia’s needs are drastically different from Alberta’s, therefore it is important to be sure you have an understanding of the governing powers in your corner of Canada.

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ARTS & CULTURE DO BETTER, CHURCH SARA DRIEDIGER

Churches are not inherently safe spaces. For many, church is associated with trauma and abuse. While we almost never hear abuse allegations from the pulpit, we do hear them whispered among the congregation.

Jo Luehmann, a faith educator who focuses on decolonizing Christianity, founded Do Better Church (@dobetterchurch on Instagram) after she publicly shared about the abuse she experienced with the Association of Related Churches (ARC), which is part of a global church planting organization. Soon after, she received a large number of direct messages from other survivors, which signaled that there were fundamental issues with ARC Churches. At its inception in July, 2020, Do Better Church sought to bring together those who had been abused by ARC Churches. A letter and petition were created in early August, based on the combined stories of abuse. The letter was followed by a list of actionable items that would promote positive change within the organization. Since then, Do Better Church has grown into a public forum and resource hub for survivors to reclaim their narratives.

Recently, there have been uproars about the unregulated power given to church leaders, the largest being the sexual abuse allegations lodged against the Catholic Church. Now, Do Better Church is looking to further disrupt the public’s preconceived beliefs about the supposed innocence of church and parachurch organizations. Along with sharing stories of abuse, forum facilitators engage and deconstruct the harmful teachings and actions of church leaders in order to shed light on abusive theology.

Some people have accused the facilitators of this account of feeding into cancel culture. In response, the forum facilitators refer to historical power dynamics in order to help us understand their mission. One of their Instagram highlights says: “We have to talk about power dynamics, and how the powerful often get the benefit of the doubt, they get protected, and they get to tell the story. The abused in churches never get to tell their story, they are not believed, and often gaslit. So here we center those without power that have been abused inside of churches.”

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What many are not aware of is the historical church structure that has caused these power dynamics to fall out of equilibrium. Matthew 18:15 and 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 are two examples of ecclesiastical polity, which is a fancy way of saying church governance. While these verses lay out a Christ-like structure for disputes, they do not account for the power dynamics of today.

For that reason, it is common to see churches handle allegations of abuse internally, and away from the public eye. Why is this wrong?

Because there is a track record of church leadership gaslighting, discrediting, censuring, and excluding the abused individual. In the eyes of most church establishments, patrons are a dime-a-dozen, so the effort is put in to protect the leaders instead. It is only beneficial to the church organization, not the abused, to handle matters discreetly, so that all negative light is avoided. This is why it is imperative that churches are publicly held accountable, and that action is taken to disrupt toxic religious structures.

If you find yourself doubting the validity of abuse in church settings, a Geographic Distribution of Reports––compiled solely of abuses directly reported to Do Better Church––shows the varied and widespread accounts of church abuse. In the image below, you can see one small teal dot placed over the Fraser Valley. This represents my report. Reporting my abuse experience was a pivotal part of my healing. Do Better Church provided a way for me to publicly name my abuse and abuser as such. It was a point of freedom to sign my name at the bottom of the open letter to ARC. It was a comfort to learn the abuse was not my fault. It is empowering to be part of a revolution.

I believe Do Better Church is the start of much needed, widespread change within our Christian organizations.

WAKING UP FROM THE AMERICAN DREAM CARTER SAWATZKY

Pop artists are waking up from the American Dream. Musicians from Lana Del Rey to Taylor Swift are suddenly putting an end to their apolitical fronts, and finally speaking their minds about America in their music.

The Chicks (formerly known as The Dixie Chicks) notoriously lost popularity when they refused to stay quiet and bow down to the American status quo. After one of the group’s members, Natalie Maines, remarked at a London concert back in March 10, 2003 that she was “ashamed the president of the United States [George Bush] is from Texas,” the group found itself scorned from the traditionally-conservative country music community. The Chicks were quickly dropped from many prominent radio stations and publicly “cancelled” by today’s standards. Three years later, they released their unapologetic song, “Not Ready To Make Nice” which features the line “‘Cause I’m mad as hell / Can’t bring myself to do what it is / You think I should” in response to those who believed they should “make nice” and go back to being silent about American politics. The Chicks were made an example to all future artists planning on releasing political commentary in their music––it is undoubtedly a risk.

Childish Gambino memorably ditched his apolitical front when he dropped his buzzy 2018 single, “This Is America,” which critiqued attitudes of complacency amid a time of frequent mass shootings, police brutality, and gun violence. The corresponding music video, filled with subtle callbacks to Jim Crow laws, implied that the covertly racist, slaveholding America had not died out of existence, but instead evolved into the America of the present.

Taylor Swift has worked hard to maintain a squeaky-clean politically-neutral image––up until her 2019 album Lover. At the end of the music video for her rainbow-covered, LGBTQ+ anthem, “You Need To Calm Down,” she urged her fans to sign her petition for the Senate to pass the Equality Act. In “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince,” she mourns America’s new realities: “American glory / Faded before me / Now I’m feeling hopeless.” She even collaborated with The Chicks in “Soon You’ll Get Better” as a clear sign that she is done being apolitical.

Lady Gaga has largely kept her music away from political commentary, so when she was featured in the 2017 Super Bowl Halftime Show––only a month after Donald Trump’s official inauguration––she fooled many people into thinking she stayed apolitical. Gaga first sang “God Bless America” followed by her rendition of “This Land is Your Land,” which stirred swift speculation that she might have indeed slipped in a piece of her mind. “This Land Is Your Land” was originally written by Woody Guthrie who wrote the song’s lyrics as a retort to “God Bless America.”

Lana Del Rey has also seemingly fallen out of love with America. Her earlier records and music videos romanticize American symbols, motifs, and mythologies to a tee: she even used to pout-sing while draped in the American flag. In a 2017 Pitchfork interview, however, she said that she would “rather have static” than sing “Born to Die” in front of the American flag. Her recent apprehension toward America is shocking considering how she used to sing, “be young, be dope, be proud, like an American.” In “When The World Was At War,” a track off Lust For Life, she hauntingly repeats “Is it the end of an era? / Is it the end of America?”

Janelle Monae’s 2018 album, Dirty Computer, can be classified as protest music for its major critiques of America. In “Americans,” Monae rails against a host of inequalities: at the end of the song, a sermon from Dr. Sean McMillan can be heard,

“Until women can get equal pay for equal work… Until same-gender loving people can be who they are… Until Black people can come home from a police stop without being shot in the head… Until poor whites can get a shot at being successful… Until Latinos and Latinas don’t have to run from walls, this is not my America.”

Sufjan Stevens released his most political track, “America,” a day before this year’s Independence Day on July 2, 2020. On it, he repeatedly sings: “Don’t do to me what you did to America.” For the musician whose ambition was to write an album for each state of America, Stevens’ new music speaks volumes. He sings to his nation, “I have loved you, I have grieved / I’m ashamed to admit I no longer believe.”

As more pop artists wake up to new dreams for America, should they be celebrated or scorned? Are they American heretics? Or American heroes?

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CANADA, THE OPPRESSOR MALAR CHANDRAN

What must it feel like to have your community’s trauma be unknown to the world? What might it feel like to have your community’s story systematically silenced by your oppressors?

I came to Canada from Singapore in July, 2019. I had heard many good things about Canada including its respect for human rights and freedom.

However, I was shocked to hear about Canada’s history of residential schools and oppression of Indigenous peoples. I was upset that this reality was hidden and tucked away like skeletons in the closet. I had only learnt about Canada’s brutal treatment of Indigenous peoples through Orange Shirt Day. Orange Shirt Day is commemorated every September 30 to bring awareness to the residential school system and how it has been a source of long-lasting oppression for the Indigenous peoples of Canada. You can listen to Indigenous survivors’ stories on their website (OrangeShirtDay.org).

In some sense, my picture-perfect view of Canada was shattered after finding out about the residential school system. I did not understand it.

My heart ached and I felt betrayed: how could I really understand the pain and oppression that the Indigenous peoples have gone through–– and still do––if I have not experienced having my culture, language, and beliefs taken away? How can I hold space for this, and yet, also be a settler on this land? Am I contributing to their past and present oppression?

In my search to better understand the experience of Indigenous peoples here in Canada, I had an encounter with Sempulyan Gonzales.

Sempulyan is a Two-Spirit person from the Squamish nation. I am deeply impacted by him because he has experienced much oppression from going through the residential school system. Sempulyan had experienced abuse at the hands of individuals within the residential school setting, and outside of it as well. For a time, he found himself living on the Downtown Eastside. He has since been able to overcome the many odds stacked against him and now lives in West Vancouver where he seeks to empower those around him through both Indigenous practices and truth-telling about the land.

As I journey on to understand my place on this land, I hope that you too will decide to try to better comprehend the traumas that Indigenous peoples have and continue to experience, and practice our own decolonizing work to ensure that we do not contribute to their oppression.

[spaces] OPEN FOR SUBMISSION THE [spaces] TEAM

with BIPOC being killed and harassed by police states, over one million people killed by a virus we knew nothing of a year ago, and ever-diminishing job prospects for our post-graduate selves. Thus, the [spaces] theme for 2020/2021 is “shatter.”

When the [spaces] team met over the summer, our worlds were disjointed, fragmented into a series of backlit faces. We had not yet come to hate Zoom, but we felt like something was distinctly missing.

In this fragmented reality, we felt that it was disingenuous to give Trinity Western University a hopeful theme for the 2020/21 issue of [spaces],

The future seems—in this moment—to be like a shard of glass: threatening, yet somehow fragile. Society seems to hold a distinct emptiness, like a shattered window pane. There is a violence and a vulnerability to our theme, reflective of our current moment. “Shatter” does not, however, have to be a final pronouncement, a state of being that will never end, or an eternal “new normal.” After all, shattered glass can release prismatic bursts of colour. Perhaps, then, this year’s theme can prove hopeful for you, despite it all.

Surprise us with your interpretations of and artistic responses to our theme. The submission deadline is November 5.

JOHN LENNON: THE POLITICAL LIABILITY MONICA RAWLEK

October 9 marks what would have been the 80th birthday of John Lennon. The musical phenomenon of The Beatles captured the world’s attention throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s. The loveable British boyband––finding their start in Liverpool over 60 years ago––stole the hearts of millions of people around the world. However, the Beatles’ career was not without controversy: their continual drug references and run-ins with the police regarding possession of illicit substances followed their career. But as a whole, The Beatles were cute, they were marketable, and they were well-received across both North America and Europe.

Yet, John Lennon, former Beatle turned political activist, was perhaps the most controversial Beatle of them all. Following the separation of The Beatles, Lennon continued in the music industry along with his wife Yoko Ono. Ono’s political career predated her involvement with Lennon, but together the two were incredibly passionate and controversial, even using their honeymoon as a stage for protests against the Vietnam War. In 1971, Lennon and Yoko Ono moved to New York City and their activism quickly got the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Their activism covered many areas and was seen in their music; writing songs about anticapitalism, the legaliza-

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tion of drugs, womens’ empowerment, and environmental concerns.

Phones were tapped, friends and family were continually followed by the FBI, and on March 23, 1973, Lennon was issued an order to leave the United States. This order was allegedly related to charges regarding marijuana possession. However, it is widely believed that this order to leave was a result of his contentious political activism and worry on the part of then USA president Richard Nixon, regarding Lennon’s political views and influence.

The intersection between celebrities and politics deserves significant attention and demands not to be ignored. The lives of many celebrities are put under close scrutiny, and their words and actions often have major ramifications regarding the success and failure of their careers. Television hosts, news anchors, and celebrities have been fired in recent years over things they have said in their private lives.

While celebrities should certainly not escape accountability for their actions, fascinating points are raised regarding the extent of governmental interests. Why is so much attention paid to the lives of celebrities? And what influence do prominent figures have over our lives, ideas, and actions?

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: SAR AH K ATE DAVIS and place are a significant inspiration to me.

As Shauna Niequist says, “This is it. Normal, daily life ticking by on our streets and sidewalks, in our houses and apartments, in our beds and at our dinner tables, in our dreams and prayers and fights and secrets––this pedestrian life is the most precious thing any of us will ever experience.”

HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED AN ARTIST AWAKENING? TELL ME ABOUT IT. One of the most memorable artist awakenings for me was in my first year drawing class with Russell Leng when I learned about negative space. Reading Annie Dillard’s chapter, “Seeing” from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek has changed how I see the world around me––how I experience it. I moved away from just looking towards seeing and being more observant. My friends can affirm I was wowed, amazed and a little obsessed with this discovery for months.

WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR AND YEAR? I am a 3rd year Art and Design major.

WHAT IS YOUR ART FORM? Right now, it’s primarily in the form of design work. However, drawing and painting are also art forms I work in. I would love to learn more about screen printing, ceramics, illustration, textiles, urban and rural planning, stagecraft, architecture. All of it.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO DO WHAT YOU DO? Inspiration tends to just find me in the smallest of ordinary moments, but I think it is here where inspiration is often harvested. People

WHAT IS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR CREATIVE CAREER? So far, one of the most exciting highlights of my creative career happened this past summer. I was approached by one of the local counties in Nova Scotia and was asked to partner with them in designing and painting a mural/sign for their newly developed trail! I had just taken abstract painting with Russell Leng and professional practices with Joshua Hale, which in a lot of ways helped me very practically. I was hired to paint two 4x8 ft signs and all the supplies were paid for. It was a dream. I learned on the job and although it isn’t perfect, I am so thankful and grateful for the opportunity they gave me as an emerging artist.

WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO IN THE ART WORLD? Lawren Harris from the Group of Seven was one of my childhood art heroes but recently Helen Frankenthaler, Hayao Miyazaki, and Makoto Fujimura are a few of the recent artists who I admire and respect greatly. All working in various media, they have explored or are exploring critical questions in their practices and create from an honest, thoughtful, and vulnerable place from their lived experience.

WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT? I’m passionate about living intentionally in the intersection of faith, art, and culture-work. I believe in cultivating empathy and compassion.

While my art has been changing and finding its own voice, I too have been becoming and finding my own voice. I’m more curious and ready to take bold risks. I want to explore different media and learn from them. I am more brave, more confident and more passionate about accessible art, creativity, and children’s art education more than ever before. I have changed, I am changing. I am becoming.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOUR ART? I’m working on being a better documenter of my own work I promise, but you can find me on Instagram, my website, and if you’re ever in Nova Scotia … I’ve done some art+design work for local businesses, illustrations, and of course my summer mural project!

Instagram: @sarahkateanjia.jpg Website: sarahkateanjia.ca

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: KIANNA WIENS Western University or the basketball program through word of mouth. I emailed Cheryl JeanPaul (the women’s basketball head coach) and I came out here for a visit and it took off from there. She flew me out for training camp and that was kind of my recruiting trip. I really enjoyed the visit and it was very different from where I’m from, especially the climate because everything is so green here.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST BASKETBALL-RELATED ACCOMPLISHMENT? I would say making it to the CANWEST Final Four in my first year. I remember one girl set a goal of us finishing 16-4 that season and that was a pretty big goal. Some girls thought we could do it and other girls didn’t really think that we could do it. However, we ended up winning some big games and went on a good playoff run and we ended up finishing the season 16-4.

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED WITH BASKETBALL? I started playing in grade one because my dad played. I started watching my older sister play basketball and that made me want to play. My parents put me in basketball and I have loved it since I first started.

HOW DID YOU FIRST HEAR ABOUT TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY AND THE BASKETBALL PROGRAM? I was doing my own research and looking at CANWEST schools, but I never heard of Trinity

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE A SPARTAN? Being a Spartan is being more than an athlete–– it’s not just the game. I think about my team a lot and being a good teammate. Being a Spartan is consistently working hard off and on the court, in academics and in sport. The team aspect is a part of it as well: we work on building a good team culture and good team dynamic.

nice break, but now I’ve been itching to play some games for sure, and I’m eager to see what the second semester will look like. As a team, I was interested in seeing what we’ve done as a team. From building team chemistry on the court to developing a team culture off it––it’s been a lot more intentional with them this year in that regard.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE BASKETBALL PLAYER AND WHY? Some of my first favourite players were Chris Paul and Steve Nash, and they both played the same position I do. I grew up going to University of Regina Cougar games and watching CANWEST, and looking up to those girls a lot.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS THIS YEAR AS A STUDENT AND ATHLETE? A goal in both of these areas is to stay motivated; it’s different with school being online. I think a goal of mine is to continue to be an Academic All-Canadian would be awesome. Overall, I’m mostly trying to improve myself and get better and to stay motivated in both areas.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE DISNEY MOVIES? Mulan, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid.

HOW HAS COVID-19 AFFECTED THE BASKETBALL SEASON AND HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ADAPT TO IT? We normally would be playing pre season games every weekend, but we don’t have any games this semester. At first I thought it was a

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In this issue’s theme, we reached out to two American TWU students: one past and one current, one living in Canada and one living in the USA, one male and one female, one Democrat and one Republican. We asked them to reflect on their country, the issues, and the election they are facing in two weeks. We at Mars’ Hill are grateful that these students were willing to come forward and state how they felt and how they were voting to provide our student body with some insight from our American students.

Our heavily polarized world has made honest and respectful political conversation a rare occurrence, and we are trying to encourage those kinds of conversations here. The political parties that we work and vote for do not define us as human beings.

LAND OF THE FAIRIES AND HOME OF THE LOST BOYS ABIGAIL SEFZIK

In the children’s classic Peter Pan, Wendy, the story’s protagonist, asks a simple, yet profound question: “boy, why are you crying?” Similar to Peter Pan, this inquiry has left me unable to articulate the reason for my grief except that maybe, just maybe, it has to do with Neverland.

In the early 1900s, G.K. Chesteron critiqued the growing divide between institutionalized religion and English patriotic idealism, “The point is not that this world is too sad to love or too glad not to love; the point is that when you do love a thing, its gladness is a reason for loving it, and its sadness a reason for loving it more.”

The naivety of the Lost Boys parallels this narrative of the American patriot: one who examines their homeland through pixie dust coated glasses. Patriotism has become a dirty word. However, it is quite the opposite. Patriotism is exposure to the naked truth: her flaws, scars, bruises, deformities and her citizens choosing to stay and doctor her bloody wounds.

America is not a utopian Neverland––that has never been the goal.

Try as we will, our bureaucratic limit is our own wretchedness. In The Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were commanded to cultivate their community, not abandon it. The underlying premise is this: we are residents of earth and citizens of heaven. Patriotism exists as another form of stewardship. In its proper context it is cultivating; bringing water to your community, tilling the soil around you, and bringing forth light and transparency to the garden.

French Diplomat Alexis De Tocqueville observed in Democracy in America that America’s greatness is not found in her enlightenment, but rather in her ability to “repair her faults.” I am not blind to the sores that plague this country. It is an imperfect story tainted with injustice––it is history, not a fairy tale of faith, trust and pixie dust.

So, how did we get here? Lady Liberty, traditionally portrayed as a beacon of independence and hope, now looks like a ragged old showgirl. A friend of mine recently described the American election this way: “when it’s not your country, it’s like watching the neighbors get a divorce. But when you are American, it’s your parents that are divorcing.”

Neverland has morphed into the dystopian Lord of the Flies narrative, where the Lost Boys have started battling each other. Politics have become our god: we have sacrificed religion, relationship, and reason at the altar. No one person brought us here and no one person can

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lead us out, pitting politicians as neither angels nor demons––they are merely residents of Neverland.

We must stop pointing fingers. Stop blaming capitalism, patriarchy, the one percent, greedy corporations, media, Democrats, Republicans, Christians, and the atheists. The problem is not “them,” the issue is you and I. It is necessary to take social responsibility. After all, it is this blame game that destroyed Eden too.

I love my country because she is mine. I love her not because she is not faultless, but rather because she is full of faults yet still worth loving. As G.K. Chesterton wrote, “love is not blind; that is the last thing it is. Love is bound; and the more bound it is the less it is blind.” My soul aches at the current state of the union. In Peter Pan we know Captain Hook is the villain, but in real life, it isn’t so clear. This upcoming election is not a matter of good guys versus bad guys––there are heroic Lost Boys and mangey Pirates on both sides wearing thick masks of Red and Blue. We have lost the ability to see one another as anything other than enemies. We have erased humanity from “We the People.”

America is not a geographical location; it is the Lost Boys, the Captain Hooks, the Wendys, the Tinker Bells and the Peter Pans. Very real fictional characters GPSing to heaven on earth: “second to the right and then straight on till morning.” And that is just it, The Great American Dichotomy.

Peter Pan believed in the magic of patriotic idealism; that Neverland is a grand oasis, a safe haven. Her birth preceded 1776, she was conceived deep in the souls of the Lost Boys and Girls who fought tyranny and built a nation. Neverland is great not because of who she is, but because of who loves her. Maybe it is not naivety, but rather the preservation of wonder. Peter Pan warned Wendy: “Even though you want to try to, never grow up.”

But, that is the tragedy, Wendy did grow up––she became old and grey. “In time [she] could not even fly after [her] hat. ‘Want of practice’, [she] called it; but what it really meant was that [she] no longer believed.” Wendy gave up on Neverland, the Fairies, the Lost Boys and Peter Pan. Wendy still lived a good life, but not a grand one. She said goodbye, and goodbye as we know means forgetting. And that, if you must know, is why I am crying Wendy Darling, because I am a Lost Boy feeling far away from Neverland and afraid that I will grow up like Wendy, and forget how to fly.

I’M NOT GETTING MARRIED TO JOE BIDEN ALEX PERNSTEINER

It is a cruel fact of modern life that if you say something really profound, millions of people will repeat you, yet not one will remember who said it originally. Across the world, dozens of pretentious college students will write articles quoting your insight without ever giving credit to you for it. Unfortunately, this is an unjust tradition which I will have to participate in when describing the philosophy I follow when voting: “voting is not marriage, it is taking the bus.”

The identity of the person who coined this phrase is likely lost to history (or, at least, lost to the first two or three pages that show up on Google when you search for it), but whoever it is, the truth they espoused is practical and worth remembering. But what does it mean?

When you are looking for someone to marry, you are not looking for whoever happens to be around. It is a decision that will affect the rest of your life: many hold that it would be better to never marry at all than marry the wrong person. You should not marry someone until you are absolutely convinced that they are the exact person you want to spend the rest of your life with.

Many people view voting along these lines. Certainly they would not have the same standards for a political candidate that they would for a marriage partner, but their methodology is the same. They are looking for that “certain special someone” candidate, who agrees with them on all the major issues and who has nothing problematic in their past. These people often find it easy to dismiss many (or even all) of the leading candidates for a position on the basis of any number of litmus tests. Candidate A supports fracking, so I cannot possibly vote for them, and candidate B wants to take away guns, so I cannot possibly vote for them either. If no candidates pass the gauntlet of my criteria, so be it; it is no skin off my teeth if I have to write a candidate in, or even avoid voting entirely.

While this logic works well for choosing potential marriage partners, the unfortunate fact is that politics is nowhere near as romantic as that, largely due to one key difference between marriage and voting.

In choosing a marriage partner, you have the luxury of time. From amongst a group of suitors, you can choose any you wish or none at all. But the fact is that one of two men will be declared the winner of the 2020 election: either Joe Biden or, God forbid, Donald Trump.

The far better way to see the situation, in my opinion, is to adopt a much more practical view about the situation at hand, akin to that of choosing which public transport to take. When choosing which SkyTrain I want to take on my trip to go get ramen in Vancouver, I am

not looking for the train that takes me exactly where I want to go. It would be foolish to expect there to be a train that deposits me right outside the door of my favorite ramen shop, and I would be sorely disappointed if that was what I was hoping to find. What I have to do is find which train station lets me off closest to my destination and then figure it out from there.

What does this analogy have to do with voting? The exact same logic applies to political candidates. Everyone has their set of policies that they support or changes they would like to see made. In other words, they have their own personal vision for what their country ought to be. Rather than holding out for the one candidate who will bring their country right to where they think it should be, the prudent voter will instead choose the candidate who will be able to bring it as close as possible, and then go from there.

There are a large number of things I dislike about Joe Biden and several policies on which I disagree with him. He is not my Prince Charming, nor is Kamala Harris. For that matter, neither is Bernie Sanders, Justin Trudeau, Barack Obama, or (and it pains me to say this) Calvin Townsend. Biden’s vision for America is different than my own. But I am choosing to vote for him because Biden gets us closer to where we ought to be. No office is more instrumental in shaping American policy for the next four years than the presidency, and we have an obligation to be practical with our choices in these kinds of elections.

Some people I know are hesitant to vote for Biden because of his centrist nature and opposition to policies like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. They are worried by his voting record in the Senate, which at times took America down roads it ought to have stayed well away from. All of these are completely valid concerns, and I empathize with most of them. But the criticism brings forth a few questions: if we want to pass Medicare for All, which candidate is the most likely to make that a possibility in the next few years? If we want to deal with climate change, which party will allow us to pass restrictions on emissions and bring us back into the Paris Climate Accords?

It is irresponsible to make perfect the enemy of good. Much bloviating is done about the negative effects of “voting for the lesser evil.”

Few seem to realize that doing so is a moral duty, since the only other option would be to allow the greater evil to gain power unopposed.

Joe Biden is a bus that I never wanted to take. But it is a bus that gets us at least a few miles closer to a just America.

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OPINIONS

MY TITLE KEVIN MCCARTY

“You’re the divorced guy?!” This moment of clarity came up during coffee with a classmate at the start of my senior year at Trinity Western University (TWU). I discovered that this was my title: have you ever been given a title? Some are helpful and even honoured, such as doctor, teacher, etc. Some titles even grant you government funding. Yet, there are those appellations which create a sense of otherness––they push the person from “normal” human interactions, even creating a disconnect of self. My classmate continued saying that she had heard about a guy who was divorced in the education department and found it, “just so hard to believe.” In shock at this energic revelation I stammered that it was indeed me, I was the divorced guy. I had no idea until that point––it had been three months since my separation and I was not even officially divorced––what this statement held within its four words. The story of my unwanted title starts at TWU, but it quickly spread to engulf my whole reality.

We all know that Christian universities are de facto bridal grounds, meaning any person that spoke to the opposite gender was immediately placed under suspicion of hostile intent. What made me “safe” was having transferred into the school already being engaged, then married in the following year. However, now in my last year as a separated person, I was included in the general suspicion. While still oblivious to this Christian cultural fact, I was deeply lonely while trying to reach out into the community. Living by myself off campus turned into a sentence of isolation, and all I could do was to wish to move home.

When the separation happened, I created a Facebook group of my TWU friends, explaining what had happened and that the coming year would be very hard. Of course, they all said they would pray for me, yet when I asked to find time to hangout it fell on deaf ears; this set me up for the hellish year I was to endure. Of the friends I had established and groups I was part of, I could no longer join in the

same manner. Something changed; somehow, I became an outsider to people who had known me for the previous two years. I tried to make new friends and to reach out, which in the time crunch of senior year while managing the emotional roller coaster of the divorce process was very, very hard . From this experience I had to forcefully come to terms with the reality that typical Christian culture is not mature enough to handle divorce, and to be honest, many other aspects of marriage. Some people tried to point out the “silver lining” and please, for the sake of others never do that; it undermines the present pain or trauma a person is facing. The irony which just tore at me was sitting through lectures about seeing students past their issues, or knowing kids beyond their special needs. Yet here I was, stuck with the banner of “Mr. Divorce,” that blocked people from knowing me or seemingly remembering me as the same Kevin as before the divorce. This sudden unknowability caused me to feel wholly inadequate, which led me to give up on major parts of myself because I no longer fit in, resulting in a deep bottomless well of depression.

I remember one time I wanted to scream out for people to stop praying for me because it was not making a difference while they remained absent. My wish is for my story to start a new set of conversations that are not built upon Christian cliché sayings, but actually set us out of our comfort zones. Comfortability is the antithesis to genuineness, and when I needed my friends most, they pushed me away due to the awkwardness of my messy life. In order to keep “praying for someone” from becoming a cop-out, there has to be action. In my case, a simple coffee time or study block or anything to remind me that I was not alone is what I needed, but no one even asked how they could help. I hope for my story to be the last, even with divorce being rare at TWU, that the next time a person needs friends they will be there despite the awkwardness.

POLITICS AND IDENTITY ALICE JUN

It is normal if disagreements in political views make one uneasy. Oftentimes, one’s identity and demands are tied to their political stance.

These are not easy things to differ on. In fact, the intertwined nature of politics and identity make it difficult to define a political standpoint as right or wrong. This leads us to ask: can politics go beyond the arguments and transform our world into a better place?

Due to the complications entailed, political policies are not easily categorized as right or wrong in a clear cut manner. Depending on the perspective, one can be both absolutely right, and absolutely wrong.

For example, universal health care may offer free medical care for citizens, but it may lead to a prolonged wait for patients who need urgent treatments.

Moreover, the existence of policies are just one of the many elements of politics. A lot of people desire a perfect world with equality, peace, and harmony. However, both the policies and their applications in the society will always be insufficient to an extent. Political policies may not fully satisfy either side, which makes it hard to accommodate differing demands.

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Because issues like these create distinctive identities within ourselves, perhaps it can be said that politics are identity in its essence. With this in mind, finding our identity may release some tension. Perhaps politics in a broader sense starts from within. Young Woo Kim, a Korean author, states in his book that: “an individual’s enlightenment and the genuine behaviours stemmed from the enlightenment impacts others thus changing the world” like a domino effect. It starts from an individual impacting a group, then a community, a country, and eventually the world.

The degree of completion of one’s character and wholeness as a person may result in citizens and politicians with a higher consciousness.

In turn, this may reduce the errors and defaults in the current political climate. A harmonious world may not happen overnight, but truly finding and assembling the authentic pieces of ourselves may impact not only ourselves but transform the planet we live in.

EPISTEMIC INJUSTICE

MONICA RAWLEK

Injustice is a term frequently used in our world today. A better understanding of the ways in which injustices may be carried out can help us to further realize why we must work together in order to eradicate injustice.

Epistemic injustice is a term coined by Miranda Fricker of the City University of New York Graduate Center. Fricker defines epistemic injustice as an injustice committed in which someone is undermined specifically in their capacity as a possessor of knowledge. We see this in everyday social situations; whether in class, playing games, within the workplace, political realm, and everywhere in between. You as an agent carry with you a certain amount of social power and prejudices that put other people in better standing than others.

The primary form of epistemic injustice we see in the world today is that of testimonial injustice. In testimonial injustice, someone’s testimony is disregarded or undermined due to prejudice from the listener. How often do you disregard something that a person says for no reason other than that you do not trust that person? At times, this lack of trust is justified and at other times it is a result of prejudice that we may or may not acknowledge in our lives. Fricker uses the example of the movie, The Talented Mr. Ripley (spoilers ahead). In this movie, Dickie Greenleaf is murdered by Tom Ripley and Greenleaf’s girlfriend Marge rightly suspects Ripley as the perpetrator of the murder. Yet, Marge is constantly undermined simply due to the fact she is a woman. At one point in the movie, Greenleaf’s father dismisses Marge’s concerns, stating, “Marge, there’s female intuition, and then there are facts.” This sort of dismissal demonstrates the need for social reform, which we have seen in various social movements throughout the years.

The question is often asked: what separates humankind from the animals?

There are a variety of answers that have been given to this question, however, one of the most common is that humankind is the rational animal.

We have the ability to employ reason in all areas of our life, whether this is in decisions regarding morality, social situations, or scholarly investigation. With that in mind, it becomes all the more important to do justice to the credibility of one’s testimony. We do this by identifying and eliminating prejudicial misconceptions we have of people. To undermine one’s credibility can be equated to undermining their humanity ––no longer recognizing the other as a rational animal, but rather, putting them on the same level (credibility wise) as any other animal.

There are times in life when we will disagree with others, and this is not a bad thing. Philosophers Rene Descartes and John Stuart Mill speak on disagreement and they have valuable insights on the topic of epistemic injustice. Descartes states: “For to be possessed of a vigorous mind is not enough; the prime requisite is rightly to apply it.” The truth of a proposition exists independently of the person asserting it and therefore we must examine a statement for what it is, and not assign a credibility excess or deficit on the person speaking. We must examine all sides of a situation as Mill gives a similar warning; “He who knows only his side of the case knows little of that.”

Fricker names a virtue in order to combat the vice of testimonial justice and that is seen in the virtue of testimonial justice. Testimonial justice is a necessarily anti-prejudicial virtue, and those who possess it are able to neutralize prejudice in their judgements of credibility.

In other words, we are able to hear someone’s testimony more objectively, without prejudice and undue bias. We will take the other’s word for what it is, rather than for what prejudice would have us think it to be.

Voices and narratives are quickly amplified or silenced depending on the group to which a person is associated with and that reality is a grave injustice prevalent in our world.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD MEN GONE? KIERAN CLARKE

Toxic masculinity is not a new issue; it has been engraved within our social psyche for ages. Whether it be music, television, social media, advertisements, video games, or sports—toxic masculinity can be seen almost everywhere. It has been normalized to such an extent that it takes a real toll on physical, emotional, and spiritual health in both men and women.

In certain genres of music, women are constantly referred to by the use of derogatory terms. In advertisements, we are presented with sexed-up caricatures of men. In video games, it is customary for the main characters to be overly powerful, hyper-masculine, and void of any flaws or emotional vulnerability. In sports, admiration is bestowed upon two bloodied combatants beating each other under the guise of “entertainment.”

Toxic masculinity creates a sexist culture that demeans both women and men while acting as a detriment towards personal well-being. The focus of this article is to challenge individuals who subscribe to this negative mentality, and to bring awareness to the harmful aspects of a culture that promotes a restriction on males in terms of gender roles, emotionality, and social expectations.

The equative and respectful treatment of women should be a societal norm. Yet, toxic masculinity erodes this moral standard and encourages a pejorative view of females and femininity. A “real man” is a servant and a gentleman who exemplifies compassion and finds strength not in one’s physicality or violence, but in strong character and meekness.. When we succumb to stereotypes that promote toxic masculinity, we become less than what our female friends and partners need us to be. Toxic masculinity promotes the idea that it is “manly” to be dominant towards others—and especially towards females. “Cat calling,” boasting about one’s sexual prowess, and tallying scores of women bedded, are more about boosting a fragile and lamentable male ego than serving as expressions of so-called “manliness.” This type of speech misogynistically paints women as exploitable objects to be taken advantage of. Men must discontinue using dilettantish relationships with women to serve as rehabilitation centers for male insecurities. “Playing” girls to make oneself feel more confident is simply immature and selfish—even though stereotypes of toxic masculinity portray these actions as “manly.” Holding assumptions that a man deserves a woman’s attention, admiration, and submission will destroy his possibility of being involved in a loving, meaningful, and genuine connection. To this end, men should hold little fear of embracing a thoughtful feminism because it is seen as antithetical to masculinity. A man who does not stand as part of the solution to toxic masculinity, only contributes to its advancement.

While listening to mainstream radio stations, it is more apparent than ever how culture has normalized music lyrics that devalue women. Modern hip-hop, for example, regularly exhibits extreme forms of misogyny and female degradation via its thematic rapping, and often epitomizes

women as nothing more than objects meant to sexually pleasure men.

Many modern rappers make musical boasts about the extent of their wealth, the disdain they hold for women, and the virulence of their violence. Sadly, these influential artists often become idolized by young men seeking to emulate their extremism. These musicians are creating hyper-misogynistic music that compromises the soul and character of the young men that flock to it, thus distorting their views of masculinity.

Real men, we are led to believe by proprietors of toxic masculinity, must be aggressive, physically imposing, never averse to risk, sexually potent, wealthy, and always in control. Contrarily, the good man fosters love and compassion towards everyone—including his enemy (which, incidentally, is a biblical commandment and not a recommendation). The good man advocates for the marginalized regardless of it affecting his social status in the eyes of peers. The good man exemplifies strength by resisting a follower’s mentality, standing up against the crowd, and supporting what is morally right—especially when it is not expedient. The good man settles conflicts with peace and charity rather than with hatred and violence.

The good man understands that fear is not the same as respect, and that meekness is certainly not weakness. Indeed, in the words of Bonnie Tyler, “Where have all the good men gone…?”

Toxic masculinity encourages stoicism and disavows emotional vulnerability. A man that can express his true feelings shows more strength than a man who hides them for fear of being labelled unmanly. Despite the playground epigram of “cry baby” that most males were taunted with, there is no weakness in letting your natural emotions visibly flow. A “real man” most definitely cries. On the other hand, erecting “protective barriers” that stifle or keep emotions hidden away contributes significantly to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. It is naïve to believe that one can get through life by either ignoring your issues or thinking you can deal with everything on your own. There is little that is noble in Sinatra’s lyric, “I did it my way.” Seeking help is a sign of strength and maturity; it shows a motivation for self-improvement, as well as self-awareness.

Toxic masculinity deprives you of a broader set of qualities that constitute a fuller character and make you a more complete human being. It restricts you to an anemic understanding of personhood and beinghood.

It limits who you are as a person, made in the image and likeness of God. When we capitulate to the norms of toxic masculinity, we are allowing a narrow-minded subculture to dictate the most minimal forms of what it means to be a man, rather than to understand manhood through the Imago Dei. Toxic masculinity impedes and mars God’s reflection within us. It is not beautiful, it is not true, it is not noble, and it is not how God intended men to be.

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SPORTS

THE ON/OFF RELATIONSHIP OF THE PRESIDENT AND ATHLETES LUKE RATTRAY For North American athletes, winning a championship is the absolute goal that they set out to reach for their entire careers. After doing so, they have the opportunity to meet one of the most powerful people in the world: the President of the United States. In the past, we often saw teams accept the invitation to the White House to have a day with the President. We have seen in the past a few players decline their invitation to visit. Recently, however, we have seen entire teams declining their invitation since President Donald Trump took office.

While athletes have the option to decline the invitation to the White House, it has been unusual to see entire teams be uninvited to the White House. This has been a trend with President Trump. About half of championship teams have elected not to attend the White House during President Trump’s presidency due to a variety of reasons ranging from political differences, to scheduling conflicts, to certain teams being uninvited to the White House on Twitter by the President himself.

One of the more notable uninvites was when Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry said that he would not attend the White House visit no matter what. Afterwards, President Trump tweeted: “Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!” Trump also uninvited the 2018 Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, after finding out that only two or three members of the team would attend. Through his actions, President Trump has not made himself well liked by the sports community. But as stated previously, Trump is not the only president to have experienced sportsmen declining this special invite.

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One notable athlete who declined his invitation to the White House due to political reasons was former Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas in 2011. He was the only member of his team to miss out on meeting then President Barack Obama. He said in a statement: “I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People… This was a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.” Although Thomas’ stance was unorthodox, we have seen other famous athletes decline the invite to the White House, including three time NBA champion, Larry Bird. “If the President wants to see me, he knows where to find me,” said the Celtics legend when he decided not to visit President Reagan.

As mentioned before, President Trump has blatantly uninvited entire teams through a simple tweet. However, a more frequent occurrence is athletes rejecting the invite to attend the White House visit. In a more extreme example, American star soccer player Megan Rapinoe immediately shut down the invite to the White House, using some expletives in the process, to which President Trump replied that “she should win before she talks.” However, Rapinoe ended up getting the last laugh, as the United States won the 2019 Women’s World Cup, defeating the Netherlands 2-0 in the final, with Rapinoe securing numerous accolades en route to the team’s victory.

The relationship between athletes and politicians has not always been solid, but it is important to recognize that both parties have the potential to work together and create positive change for society.

Having the opportunity to visit the White House is a once in a lifetime experience. However, it is even more important that athletes maintain their individual freedom, and being able to exercise the choice as to whether or not they should attend, is what liberty they deserve. Unfortunately since President Trump has been in office, this relationship has been damaged and has polarized the sporting world. Despite all of this, the athletes are able to express how they feel about certain issues or politicians. Unlike Fox News’ Laura Ingraham stated, they should not just “shut up and dribble.”

FIFA: THE CORRUPTIBLE FACE OF THE BEAUTIFUL GAME LUKE RATTRAY

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is the international governing body of world soccer. It is made up of 211 members from 6 continents. FIFA is the ultimate representative of the beautiful game––the world’s game. In its most authentic form, soccer unites people from all backgrounds, and provides joy to all those who take part in watching it.

expand its money and power across the globe especially under Blatter, making these host countries fit FIFA’s newfound operation almost seamlessly.

While the selections themselves were controversial, it is without a doubt that it was the process of selecting host countries for these World Cups that created heavy scandals and corruption. For both of the processes, it involved a wide range of political deals of the highest order: tampering, bribery, and even the use of various intelligence agencies, all occured in order to gain an upper edge in winning a bid to host the World Cup. Russia’s only legitimate contender for the 2018 bid was England. However, even with England being the other legitimate bidder, they were not favoured

by FIFA because of the British press, who had covered stories regarding previous corruption scandals with FIFA. For the 2022 World Cup, the official bidders were the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.

In order to host the World Cups, countries had to convince the 24-member FIFA Executive Committee (ExCo) that they were best suited to host the tournament. Countries ended up in a spending frenzy. For instance, Qatar invested heavily in countries that happened to have an ExCo member, Russia was discovered giving artwork to an ExCo member, and England also gave each of the ExCo members’ wives an expensive Mulberry handbag. It is without a doubt that the ExCo members would not hesitate to manipulate their power in order to receive outlandish gifts and money.

FIFA is also the home of the FIFA World Cup, the world’s most viewed sporting event. In the most recent World Cup in 2018 hosted by Russia, over 3.5 billion people tuned in to watch soccer’s most coveted tournament. Despite all of the happiness in which the World Cup and FIFA brings to the world, it is without a doubt that FIFA has been home to some of the largest scale corruption scandals that sports has ever seen.

The scandal began December 2, 2010, but it is suspected to have started beforehand. It was on this day that FIFA announced the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts. Then-President of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, revealed the host for these World Cups: Russia, and Qatar, respectively. Although one could argue that these were predictable outcomes, as FIFA began to really

Furthermore, a Qatari whistleblower claimed that the country handed over $1.5 million USD in bribes, but later revoked that statement (interestingly enough). As for the Russians, Chelsea FC owner and business magnate Roman Abramovich was seen having private meetings with Blatter on numerous occasions in hopes to secure the bid for Russia to be the host. It seems that both of these tactics had worked, as revealed on December 2, 2010.

However, this choice came with consequences, as over half of the 24 ExCo’s have been banned from FIFA upon their admission to selling their vote and accepting bribes from various countries.

The World Cup in Qatar has been met with a constant flood of negative press because of the dates of the tournament (held in the winter instead of the summer), the treatment of migrant workers constructing the stadiums, the persecution of the LGBTQ+ community, and their mistreatment and inequality towards women. Qatar has also faced allegations of supporting terrorism and extrimist groups. While these reasons certainly do not help Qatar’s case in hosting soccer’s most coveted tournament, this problem stretches further than the sport itself.

COLUMN: TAKE OF THE ISSUE MANCHESTER UNITED: THE CAR WITH NO STEERING WHEEL

LUKE RATTRAY

Following the 6-1 beating that Tottenham laid on Manchester United on October 4, the club once again has been called into serious question.

Fans have been calling for the owners (the Glazer family) to be removed for a long time now, as they have ended up taking over £1 billion out of the club to help pay for their initial takeover, and have left the club in debt for the first time since 1931. Though the problems with Manchester United start at the very top, everybody in the organization is responsible to represent the badge that they work for. The players lack passion and drive, the manager, Ole Gunnar Solsjkær, looks restless and tired, the captain, Harry Maguire, is not acting and playing like the captain, and the Chief Executive of the club, Ed Woodward, is easily one of the most disorganized executives in the Premier League.

Like Swiss cheese, Manchester United is riddled with holes from top to bottom. It is evident that there is no direction within the club due to their atrocious spending in transfer windows. As Manchester United is notorious for being linked to top players in the market, negotiations between club, and player often end in panicked spending on other players. For such a big club, it is incredibly difficult to sign their top transfer priorities.

However, there are still world class players who do put in a performance weekly, and the individuals are who the team needs to be built around.

Even though Solsjkær is a fan favourite, he is not the manager who will take the club to the top. Although it would be very difficult to let him go, there are simply more qualified managers in the market without a job.

Among the top of this list is former Tottenham manager, Mauricio Pochettino, who would fit extremely well with the club, and has proven himself to be one of the most tactically competent managers in the world of football. Although that would only be a dream, it is the most likely outcome in which Man United finds newfound success: in new owners, a new chief executive, and Pochettino.

Manchester United was once again the laughing stock after failing to sign English phenom Jadon Sancho. Furthermore, the defence and midfield is where the real problems lie. Manchester United has struggled to score from open play this season (being ranked second last in total shots, and ranked fourteenth in goals scored), and this comes from a failure of the midfield and attack linking together. The signing of Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek over the offseason looks promising, but there is still a lack of depth and overall quality across the team.

The club has an incredibly long way to go before reclaiming their former status in the English Premier League (EPL). Fans find it incredibly frustrating to see that Manchester United is nowhere near the top of the EPL. There is an incredible amount to discuss within this take, and this has only scratched the surface. All I know is that it will take a very long time for the club to get back to where it was 10 years ago, and if the club wants to experience being at the top again, then it will have to make serious changes across all levels of the club.

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HUMOUR

THE RAZOR REFORMATION JAVEN KAY

“You shall expect hellfire upon ye.” These frightening words were spoken by Braedon Grover Sunnes, the radical leader of the emerging No-Handlebar RipStik faction.

In early September, the group known as the Peaceful Razor Scooter Association (PRSA) was founded by Javen Kay, Colin Gottwald, and Maxwell Alstad. Like the great campus it was founded on, the leaders of the PRSA believed that greatness could also be found in the gift of a scooter.

Previous comments made by Sunnes suggest they were made in response to the positive publicity the scooters were having across the Trinity Western University (TWU) campus. It is possible that further action may be taken by Sunnes in order to remove such competition.

However, as fellow members of the continental TWU grounds, we believe that we have the right to scooter as we please.

The Peaceful Razor Scooter Association does not claim responsibility for the initial conflict that had been sparked between the two groups.

Additionally, the PRSA affirms we will not stand for such intimidation tactics and are willing to speak out against the false claims.

As speaker for the PRSA, I sincerely hope that the peace and prosperity brought by the presence of scooters will not be tampered with.

However, scooters are capricious instruments and are designed for both greatness and the destruction of their enemies.

Your move, Sunnes.

ZOOM HACKS: TIPS AND TRICKS FOR ZOOMERS EMMA DYKSTRA In the age of Zoom, we are slaves to our laptops. If you are struggling to even absorb a scrap of information from your professors, or maybe just looking for ways to enjoy the many hours of zooming you complete in a week, here are some tips and tricks to make the experience more exhilarating.

Change your name: Click on the “participants” icon at the bottom of the Zoom screen. When the participants bar appears on the right hand side, hover over your name and select “more” and an option to rename yourself will pop up. Go through an identity crisis mid class by changing your name multiple times to confuse your professor, your classmates, and maybe even yourself.

Give yourself a profile picture: If you are a person who insists on having your camera off, this is for you. Go to your Zoom account and select “profile” from the left hand side. An option to change your profile photo should appear at the top. To make it easier on your single classmates, either display your engagement photo or a picture of just you so everyone has a good idea of where you are at romantically. It is hard to know without the ability to raise your left hand in person.

Then, your classmates will know that they are allowed to fall in love with you.

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Make your background the talking head backdrop from The Office: Google “talking head background the office” and download the image. Click on the arrow beside the “show video” icon when in Zoom and select “choose virtual background.” Now whenever a classmate chooses to unmute and say something unnecessary, give a Jim Halpert stare to your webcam.

Do not chat in the Zoom chat room: Zoom chats are so complicated and it is a pain to always check if you are messaging “everyone” or your best friend before you press send. You do not want the whole class to know that you find Zak in the top left corner super cute. Just arrange to both be on Facebook during the class and message there.

It is not worth the risk to message in Zoom.

We here at Mars’ Hill hope you are navigating the online world safely and are not too zoomed out yet.

HOW TO NAVIGATE POLITICS ON SOCIAL MEDIA EMMETT HANLEY

During these strange and unprecedented times, it has become impossible to avoid the constant barrage of political hot takes without simply yeeting your phone out of the window, and thus out of your life for good. For those of us who use social media as a reprieve from our daily lives, this handy guide will give you all the info you need to keep your brain from melting in your skull and leaking out of your ears whenever you are browsing through your news feed:

1. Instagram: This classic photo-sharing platform is one of the easiest apps to curate a healthy scroll. So long as you stay away from stories, explore, IGTV, and most everything else the app has to offer, you won’t see anything other than what is posted by the accounts and hashtags you follow. Now, you can return to the endless images of $32 vegan mac and cheese, and the gains of sweaty gym bros to push the existential dread of wondering whatever the president just said to the back of your mind.

3. YouTube: Sometimes you are just trying to watch TikTok compilations and all of the sudden you get bombarded with a Shapiro sibling ad, causing a brain aneurysm and your fourth hospital trip this week. How do you make it stop? ADBLOCK. You can pretend you never even knew America was having an election, and go back to watching your favourite 10-hour “Carl Wheezer sings Slow Dancing in the Dark” loop uninterrupted.

2. Facebook: The OG social media behemoth is a little more difficult to navigate. You are only “friends” with people because you are obligated to be, and you could honestly do without the vapid updates from family members, randos from high school, and annoying co-workers from three jobs ago. You hardly ever open the app anymore, but can be sure whenever you do that one weird uncle you avoid at reunions has definitely posted something problematic. The solution?

Hide Facebook somewhere deep within a widget, turn off notifications, and forget you ever downloaded it. Out of sight, out of mind.

4. Twitter: If you haven’t deleted Twitter by now, you must be a masochist. It is too late and there is no saving you anymore. You have already died inside. At this point, politics are a morbid curiosity and you stay up until three in the morning constantly refreshing your feed and wondering just how bad a crusty, orange boomer’s delusional struggle tweets could possibly get. Your family is worried about you, and you don’t blame them. Politics have destroyed your life.

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DOES GOD REALLY LOVE ME? WHAT WILL MY FRIENDS THINK OF ME? IS THERE ANYONE ELSE LIKE ME? I’M WORRIED ABOUT HOW MY DORM WILL TREAT ME.

CONTACT US AT ONETWU.COM One TWU is TWU’s independent LGBTQ+ student, alumni and ally coalition for confidential support and a safe community.