Volume 26 Issue 4: Alien by Mars Hill Newspaper

Mars Hill

11 0.1 G

To Be Foreign PG. 13

The Alienation of Coming Out PG. 14

11 03 21

ISSUE 04

VOLUME 26

Campus COVID19 Su rve y

MAKENA WARDLE Editor-in-Chief

CARTER SAWATZKY Managing Editor

RACHEL WEGNER Visual Editor

GILLIAN SCOTT Copy Editor

Dear Reader,

MARITHA LOUW News Editor

KYLE PENNER Opinions Editor

BRAEDON GROVER SUNNES Humour Editor

DIEGO BASCUR Staff Writer

SOPHIE HOLLAND Arts & Culture Editor

SCOTT BOWERS Sports Editor

LEX DIERSCH Staff Writer

ZACHARY SIMONYI-GINDELE Illustrator

The theme of this issue of Mars’ Hill Newspaper is “Alien.” Besides the more colloquial meaning of the word, an extraterrestrial creature, the word alien can refer to so much more: unfamiliar, foreign, different, unknown––the list goes on. It also alludes to alienation: a term that is being used often these days due to the circumstances we find ourselves in. Some of us feel alienated from those around us because of differing spiritual or religious beliefs. Some are alienated from their families and communities for their sexuality or gender identity. Some are alienated for their political leanings. All of this is creating tangible divides between us—divides which have been in place in different ways throughout human history. As TWU states in its “Hospitality in the Classroom” statement, the university should “welcome and value all voices, including those from under-represented groups or those who have been marginalized,” and this is centered around “principles of Christian hospitality.” Christian teaching has a rich tradition of welcoming the foreigner and alien among us, and our team wanted to consider these ideas in this issue. One example of this is explored in our feature article, “The Mars’ Hill Campus COVID-19 Survey.” Many feel alienated on all sides of the mask and vaccine mandate discussions: and those who find themselves somewhere in between feel like they do not have a place to reside. We reached out to the student

MARS’ HILL

CATE TSO Layout Editor

MACKENNA WILSON Photographer & Social Media Manager

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

MISSION TO MARS

JARED KLASSEN Web Editor

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

MEDIA ADVISOR: Loranne Brown

body to hear and share their thoughts. The survey was completed by hundreds of students, and proved the diversity of opinions that are within our community. We also talked to Taryne Lepp, the TWU Public Health Lead, to set the record straight on what truly is going on with vaccinated and unvaccinated students alike in our campus residences. Other staff and contributors have explored the theme in a multitude of ways. Alice Jun shares the variety of emotions that come with foreignness in her piece “To Be Foreign.” In a more comedic take, Emmett Hanly attempts to dispute the existence of extraterrestrial beings in “Opinion: Aliens Don’t Exist No Matter How Hard You Try.” Scott Bowers informs us of China’s devastating repression of Uighurs in “A Genocide Unknown.” And in “Hello, I’m Different,” Lex Diersch shares their coming out story, and the feeling of alienation that so often goes hand in hand with the process. Thank you for engaging with our paper, as we do our best to assist you in exploring both the familiar and the other.

Cheers,

EDITORIAL POLICY

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

CONTRIBUTORS

Seth Schouten Taryne Lepp Espen Shackelford Alice Jun Sydney Dvorak Sadie McDonald Christa Lyford Jouen Chang Lorin Scaiano Alex Walker Tyler Jones Annie Zander Emmett Hanly Grey Zander HyeonJeong (Bella) Choi

DECLASSIFIEDS SUBMIT YOUR OWN AT MARSHILLNEWSPAPER.COM/DECLASSIFIEDS

Theatre! Worship Arts! TESOL! Say their names! #ReviveOurPrograms

Craig Broyles article brought tears to my eyes

i wonder if on Mars they have a newspaper called Earth Hill

Oh look the student superior–– sorry, “student leaders” are walking across campus again. I wonder how perfect their life is today?

We should have esports as a new option for athletics I have a crush on Søren Kierkegaard Petition to open up the *atrium* 24/7 again Textbooks: a great waste of Earth’s precious resources to just sit unused on a shelf. Can you please stop screaming in the douglas parking lot at 11pm ? Some of us cant afford to retake our classes Watching your foundation students become student leaders really warms your heart <3 Don’t complain. If you were wearing your mask properly, you wouldn’t have smelled my fart. Makena Wardle has millennial energy Trin cant afford a theatre department but man the rock collection in Neufeld sure is nice I have secretly been using my roommates deodorant for the last three days…..please don’t tell her To who ever is telling Holly to break up with her boyfriend who are you GET TO THE CHOPPA!!!! the declassifieds are the faculty’s best source of gossip. drink up fellas.

Hey people, if you want to find a local church that supports the LGBTQ+ community, check out GayChurch.org. They’re really helpful! Whoever made the crossword Q: The most conceited, cult like event at TWU” A: Rockridge Yes. I am so glad other people see this found a pube on my library desk, RIP my wellbeing someday I hope that someone will love me as much as Bubel loves Northrop Frye Douglas 2020-21 RAD team will never be matched 4th year education cohort is LIT of course he eulogized a swing Why are the declassified getting more mean and dirty? Back in 2017 were like this? the west cost collegium is low key not my vibe this year. what happened? One TWU truly doing the lords work I have yet to meet one male firstyear spartan that isn’t super prideful and thinks they’re the centre of the world.

Trinity Western culture is seeing 5 different guys named Josh on your way to each class

@trinity_memes_og Don’t you have better things to do than get unreasonably salty at the Declassifieds? Are you okay? Do you need a nap or something?

In the last 6 months I’ve received 8 parking tickets and 4 boots despite having a parking pass. Sort it out security

You know how kids come up to you and say how do you think you’re gonna die and then cartwheel away?

I swear that the chocolate milk and balsamic dressing in the caf were the two things that justified the cost of tuition… if they aren’t returned imma riot

I’m having an existential crisis…are legs butt? Is butt legs?

What if the steamy car at CPC was just someone using their smelly humidifier because their roomate doesnt like it in the room. Ever thought about that guys? No. All you think about is yourself After reading the Mars Hill article on cults, I can in fact confirm: Trinity Western is a cult. As a concerned Canadian-American, I propose we change it to wathrooms

for all you conservatives saying marshill is too leftist at least you have the memes page as to balance your news sources out Jon B. I’ve been thinking about you…..damn you’re a baddie, meet me in skid-more 232 I would die for Jon B. Spirit Halloween will replace the Theatre Department. That TWU meme page guy really gets so pressed about the declassifieds eh

To the people who were frustrated over the VeggieTales comment, wait until you hear about literally all the gay heroes in the Bible who you completely bypassed. Jessica Son is the sweetest person I have ever met. I keep trying to break up with him but he just isn’t getting the picture. -Holly Here’s a thought: What if you just let LGBTQ+ people live their lives without the need to interfere and dehumanize them? Let’s celebrate the fact that nobody sent ‘egg’ into the declassifieds last issue

You know that’s the kinda thing that really makes me exhale sharply outta my nose Toru who? Dell what? Sophie Dickau and Albus de Groot are the biggest celebrities on campus Jessie’s girl has got it going on egg Can we talk about how ridiculous it is to do laundry on campus?? It’s ridiculously expensive and the laundry machines don’t even work. My clothes are never dry Upon seeing Robbie Down “Yeah he looks like a biter”

Rebecca Martin, “So anyways, last Klaus, you mentioned that....”

How do you kindly inform someone that they should probably have bangs….?

“We don’t want to be Florida men.” - MT

Zachary Simonyi-Gindele looks like a youth pastor

How about instead of just complaining that there are too many liberal articles in Mars’ Hill you just write a conservative one? Submissions are open to everyone, kids.

your friendly reminder that god loves gays and TWU should too <3

My oven fan had more sparks than my love life Do I have a crush on Michael from 11:07? Yes. Will I ever do anything about it? Nope! The only type of major theatre has and ever will be is a Major waste of time. I’m tired of being the comedic friend…. I want to be the comedic girlfriend anyone else miss the pink haired girl from last year? How do guys absorb information from assigned readings when they can only read half of my text message before their brain shuts off TWUSA keeps playing Hozier, Taylor Swift, Dodie, and Lorde like what depressed queer teenager is running the Spotify playlist? This was submitted during a Mars’ Hill lounge shift, and we accept this as a compliment.

just an FYI to all the 1st and 2nd years who don’t know how campus works… there’s a thing called quiet hours and it starts at 11 “Never thought I’d see a minion three-way onstage” - Braedon I am looking to borrow a piano for completely legal reasons.... It’s not really theater until someone licks the floor #1107 11:07 is still fun I just miss Nyssa Morgan :( I am disgusted by the amount of homophobes at this school. It’s not funny, it’s not Christ-like, and it’s not up for debate. Stop it. There’s a lot of fire where you’re going, you better get used to it. You’re going to H-E-L-L double hockey sticks. TWU may not care about Truth & Reconciliation, but Patti Victor is amazing. She is a wise, sweet lady & from what I know she makes Indigenous students feel welcome.

Robbie and Grey. stop being so cute. :(

Do people actually think pre-marital kissing is going to make them not Christian anymore?

The person behind the twu confessions (crushes) page is a lonely, desperate, and envious girl.

Finishing all assignments before the deadline is more satisfying than sex

Me : Why do you like that girl? Trinity boy : Cuz she has such a servant heart! Also her honkers are fantastic

I agree that our dorm lights are too white. We need yellow lights to feel more at home. I think the yellow light costs the same as the white one if it’s the same light bulb. We should make a complaint or sth smh

to the person playing champagne problems on the piano outside mcmillan at 12am, im upset that you kept me up but also go off

i went to covid and got campus

Can the twu swap and shop fb page admins sort out members who aren’t associated with twu? There are too many random people who seem like strangers Kyle Penner looks like Post Malone without any face tattoos Trinity folks are humble. Most of them never brag and downplay their achievements Gillian Scott is so kind To all the people shading the spiritual leaders of Chapel in the last issue: Do not worry, I told my mom all the tea and she is praying Only Robbie Down can take one of the most happiest songs on earth and make it depressing...Don’t get me wrong, he is a gifted person, but his version of ‘Joy to the World’ is just not it. Fun fact Jag actually lives in the Caf. It’s his kingdom (we call him King Jag). If you don’t know the man now?… you will eventually. I can promise you that! ya’ll need to take mask littering as seriously as you did using mushy paper straws to save the sea turtles I’m looking for a business partner at trinity. If you are interested dm MountainPacClothing on insta Man, I Love Fraser Hey if you failed your math102 midterm, Fear Not… I did too once upon a time… you are not alone, comrade.. Aiden Anderson you have a secret admirer… shoot your shot. What’s worse.. a thirsty firsty or a desperate 4th year?? Is there anything worse than having a midterm on a no bones day pepperoni is just God’s baloney Braedon shaved his head? wild hooligan to white boy character development (or is it character regression?) senpai? sorry. senpai? sorry. senpai?

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.

SETH SCHOUTEN

CONTRIBUTOR OF THE ISSUE What is your major? Education! Minoring in English and Theatre. Where are you from? Burnaby. What is something you’re passionate about and want to share with the world? Recently, I’ve been really interested in conversations my peers have been having over new ways of approaching the faith and dealing with the complicated, to say the least, history of the church. We’re in an exciting time where young Christians are asking really difficult questions about the faith, the traditions of the church, the problematic beliefs of many significant Christians, and the harm that people have done in the name of Christ. Are there ways to reevaluate the legacy of Christian institutions without devolving into complete iconoclasm? It’s something I’ve been really intrigued by recently and love talking to people about.

Why do you write for Mars’ Hill? Mars’ Hill has fostered my growth as a writer and has provided me with a platform to explore and share ideas that normally wouldn’t get a spotlight. It has allowed me to join the larger conversations happening within our school and has made me feel a part of something bigger than myself. What is your favourite article you’ve written for Mars’ Hill and why is it important? Out of the two that I’ve written, my favourite is probably the one appearing in this issue, “Mac Miller’s Faces: Life, Death, and Rebirth.” Miller’s music has been incredibly important to me since I discovered it a few years ago and has soundtracked both the joy and the difficulty in my first few years of early adulthood. What is your favourite article of clothing? I have a shirt with the A24 logo on it. It’s a nice print on a very comfortable piece of fabric.

HUMANITY IN CRISIS: THE PLIGHT OF THE REFUGEE MARITHA LOUW

There are certain outcomes to war that are predictable and consistent throughout history—death, wounds, PTSD, destruction of property, and the hope for eventual peace. Another major side effect of war is the displacement of civilians. Non-combatants are often the greatest victims and losers in war as they have no means of participating in the outcome of the conflict. Forcible displacement results in huge numbers of refugees who are without a home. Currently, the United Nations (UN) estimates that there are 82.4 million displaced peoples in the world. This record-setting number includes 26.4 million refugees, 48 million internally displaced people, and 4.1 million asylum seekers. It is not only war that creates a refugee crisis, but also persecution, human rights violations, and events seriously disturbing societal orders.

“The United Nations estimates that there are 82.4 million displaced peoples in the world.” By the end of 2020, more than 3 million people had been internally displaced in Afghanistan. By the end of 2021, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that that number will increase by half a million. The massive influx of refugees is largely due to the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and the subsequent takeover of the Taliban. The UNHCR has called on neigh-

bouring countries (Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan) to keep their borders open to Afghan refugees—but these nations are already housing 2.2 million Afghan refugees. U.S.-led evacuation efforts were made before the Taliban took control of the capital Kabul, and UNHCR reports that about 90,000 of civilians evacuated were Afghan nationals. Most of the civilians evacuated were taken to emergency processing centres set up in Spain, Germany, Qatar, Uzbekistan, and some other nations. Now, the Taliban control all the main land crossing points at its borders, as well as all major airports. Therefore, many Afghans in fear for their safety who are trying to flee Taliban rule are unlikely to escape the country without valid travel documents. The possibility of obtaining valid travel documents is very, very slim. Bordering the north of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan has closed its main crossing point in order to “ensure security,” and currently it has no plans to reopen it to Afghanis. Pakistan has the longest border with Afghanistan and has said it will not accept any refugees. Its ambassador to the U.S. told reporters: “We are already overburdened by the refugees, and it is beyond our capacity to host any more refugees.” The United Nations has, true to its form, called on its member states to help the Afghan people. Some nations have offered asylum for refugees, and others have indicated strongly that they will not offer sanctuary for those fleeing the crisis. Nations bordering Afghanistan as well as other nations in Eastern Europe are already full to the brim with refugees from other crises, such as Syria and Libya. Turkey especially has urged its partners in the European Union to take a

greater responsibility for any new migrant crisis—since 2015, Turkey’s borders have played the role of a migrant storage unit due to European nations avoiding taking in refugees. Poland, Switzerland, and Austria have been among the most outspoken nations saying that they will not accept any new Afghan arrivals, and will also increase their border security to prevent any illegal migrants from entering.

“Some nations have indicated strongly that they will not offer sanctuary for those fleeing the crisis.” The reality is, most nations do not have the resources and capacities necessary to provide asylum on a large scale. While the UNHCR urges nations to speed up their procedures for taking in Afghan refugees, the fact remains that most state leaders are not in the habit of prioritizing asylum for refugees in their budgets. Especially with the pandemic stifling economic growth worldwide, the welcoming of foreigners does not take precedence over providing basic needs for one’s own citizens first. Nations would have to set up welcoming camps, provide visas, refugee statuses, and would have to find semi-permanent or permanent housing, food, clothing, etc. Civilians can fundraise, raise awareness, protest and petition, but at the end of the day it is only the state leaders who can make a significant difference.

AMERICA IS BACK... TO 1918? ESPEN SHACKELFORD

U.S. President Joe Biden’s “America is back” foreign policy strategy has been slow to start. It is still early on in his presidency, but the engaged and capable message that Biden presented to the world after his election is quite different from the more recent and mediocre display of leadership. President Biden is supposed to right the wrongs of his predecessor, but that is looking kind of shaky. The former Trump administration managed to avoid any major foreign policy disasters, and although some relationships with U.S. allies became somewhat strained, President Trump’s foreign policy team kept the boat from rocking too hard. Probably the most important policy change was to roadmap the US a way out of involvement in the Middle East, and instigated the Doha Agreement between the Taliban and the U.S. to provide a timeline for U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. This shift towards decreased military involvement was paired with an increased focus on the difficult problem of growing Chinese influence, keeping America in line with its allies as Western relations with China have turned sour.

Biden has in some ways maintained these major themes, as the growing sense in Washington is that America is starting to fall behind China militarily and economically. He has promised to support the island nation of Taiwan should China threaten its independence, but many allies in the area are doubtful. With Chinese jets flying more frequently around the island, and Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for a “peaceful reunification,” Biden has said that the U.S. is committed to helping Taiwan; however, White House press correspondent Jen Psaki has said that “[h]e wasn’t announcing a change in policy nor have we changed our policy. We are guided by the Taiwan Relations Act.” According to the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States must provide weapons to Taiwan, but has no obligation to send troops to defend the island nation. With America’s failure on Afghanistan still in the recent past, America’s allies are likely questioning whether or not Biden will be able to stand with them if a major crisis arises. This sentiment is also shared by many of the American people, as a recent Gallup poll

shows Biden’s approval rating at a low 43 percent. The current policy of “strategic ambiguity” by declining to commit to its allies in order to prevent conflict leaves a loophole for Biden to escape a war, and both the U.S.’ allies and Beijing know that. In no way am I saying that the U.S. should go to war with China, or look for an excuse to use force, but in order to maintain the global balance of power and stand with its allies in the defence of human rights, freedom and democracy, more explicit declarations of support are needed. Showing that you will stand up for others when push comes to shove is one of the greatest deterrences of war we have at our disposal. As the West’s dominance cools in the technological and economic space, it may be all we have left.

VIP A GENOCIDE UNKNOWN: CHINA’S REPRESSION OF UIGHUR MUSLIMS SCOTT BOWERS

CONTENT WARNING: SEXUAL ABUSE, RAPE, VIOLENCE. In one of China’s western provinces, Xinjiang, there is said to be an ongoing cultural genocide unlike anything seen since the Holocaust. Yet, depending on who you ask, this may not be happening at all. The Uighur people, an ethnic minority heavily concentrated in the northwestern province of Xinjiang, is a Muslim group that has very little in common with the more influential Han people of China. Reports coming out of the region claim the Chinese government is actively attempting to “ethnically cleanse” the region. Many of these reports have come from those who have fled the region, telling stories of the atrocities they have experienced or bore witness to. According to BBC News, there were reports that up to 1 million Uighurs had been placed in concentration camps. The program started in 2014 and was rapidly expanded in 2017. Within these camps, Chinese government officials are supposedly forcibly stripping these people of their culture and religion by displacing them from their communities and coercing them into denouncing their faith. BBC News has also gotten reports of victims being subject to physical, mental, and sexual torture, and many women have spoken of the mass rape and sexual abuse by the camp guards. For those Uighurs lucky enough to not be detained in these camps, their lives are subject to mass surveillance––unlike anything we in the West could imagine. The United Nations, along with both President Trump’s and President Biden’s administrations, have condemned China’s actions in this region, critizing the nation for “committing genocide and crimes against humanity.” Alongside these statements, similar sentiments have been echoed by nations like Canada and the United Kingdom, with some states going as far as placing trade sanctions on China over these claims. On October 21, 43 countries at the UN called for China to respect Uighurs’ rights according to international humanitarian law. However, the official position of the Chinese government is that these claims are false rumours. Many high profile Chinese officials have gone on record denying that

any sort of genocide whatsoever is taking place in Xinjiang. The Chinese media claims that these camps serve educational purposes to help Uighur workers gain skills and find jobs in the remote area of the country. The main problem with this conflict is that we do not actually have enough access to understand what is going on in the area. The public, and especially we here in the West, have very few opportunities to study first hand what is happening. Any access granted to reporters is very tightly controlled: any interaction with the people of the area seems very rehearsed and perfectly in-line with the Chinese government’s positions. This provides a stark contrast to the horrendous stories told by survivors who have fled to the West, including the United States and United Kingdom. The differing religious, ethnic, and cultural ways of life for the Uighur people has made them an obvious point of concern for an extremely homogeneous and secular Chinese government. Yet, the reasoning for so much attention on this specific region is two-fold for China. Yes, there is a glaring difference in the beliefs of the Uighurs and the Chinese government. However, this region is also strategically important to China’s economy. The Xinjiang province is not only very rich in natural resources, but it also gives China greater trade access to western Asia and Europe. The area is said to be vital for China’s future economic expansion west, which would see it invest billions to improve trade routes to the rest of the world’s economy. Regardless of whether China’s close attention to Xinjiang is ethnically, religiously or economically motivated, the fact remains that the livelihoods and survival of millions of Uighur Muslims is under attack. That is, unless you ask the Chinese government, who would deny any such conditions altogether. For that reason alone, the future of the situation does not seem to be changing anytime soon, regardless of the political backlash and trade sanctions imposed by Western nations. China’s strategic position on many of the most influential international agencies allows it veto powers to stop anything from changing in Xinjiang.

REMEMBERING COLIN POWELL: VETERAN, DIPLOMAT, TRAILBLAZER MARITHA LOUW

Former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell passed away on October 18, 2021, from COVID-19 complications. He will be remembered not only for his military service in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, but as a politician and general who shaped U.S. national security policies. Prior to the election of Barack Obama as president in 2008, Powell was the highest-ranking African American in the history of the executive branch, and the first African American secretary of state. His leadership in a number of Republican administrations contributed greatly to the development of American foreign policy in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. His family told reporters that they have lost “a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American.”

“In many ways, Powell was the quintessential American success story.” Powell first distinguished himself in the Vietnam War, serving in combat duty before becoming the first African American national security advisor in the latter days of the Reagan administration. Under President George H. W. Bush, Powell was the youngest and first African American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—the most senior team of military leaders in the United States. Many Americans hoped that Powell would become the first African American president in the future. He was a symbol for many minorities in the U.S. that climbing the military ladder of opportunity was possible, and that they, too, could rise to the top positions in defence leadership. In many ways, Powell was the quintessential American success story. Despite his stellar career and popularity, Powell feared that he would only be remembered for his role in leading the U.S. to war in Iraq. While Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, Powell pushed faulty intelligence in a briefing to the United Nations advocating for the Iraq War. Referring to this as a “blot” on his record, Powell would grow increasingly disillusioned with the right-wing leanings of the Republican Party, and eventually used his popularity to support Democrat presidential candidates, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden. Powell still remains as an enormously influential and positive symbol for Americans on both sides of the aisle. Speaking during his confirmation hearing in 2001, Powell said: “I think it shows to the world what is possible in this country. It shows to the world that: Follow our model, and over a period of time from our beginning, if you believe in the values that espouse, you can see things as miraculous as me sitting before you to receive your approval.” The American dream was manifested in Powell, and his legacy remains as one of its greatest success stories.

FEMINIST NEWS A SB 8 UPDATE

THE EXCLUSION OF AFGHAN GIRLS FROM EDUATION

On October 14, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit suspended an appeal to halt the state of Texas’ Senate Bill (SB) 8: a law that criminalizes nearly all abortions in that state.

In Kabul, 14 Afghan girls gather in a basement. They seal themselves in, closing doors and windows so no one can hear or see them participating in an illegal activity–– school.

President Biden’s administration found SB 8 to violate the United States’ Constitution, for which the Department of Justice (DOJ) argued that Texas is “systematically denying women a constitutional right,” and thus decided to sue the state of Texas. This current challenge to SB 8 is known as United States v. Texas.

While Afghanistan was under Taliban rule from 1996-2001, girls were banned from going to school and instead resorted to seeking education in underground schools. Twenty years later, history is repeating itself.

SYDNEY DVORAK

Texas’ main counter-argument is that the DOJ does not have legitimate standing in court, because “[t]he federal government cannot get an abortion, and the Constitution does not assign it any special role to protect any putative right to abortion.” Meanwhile, DOJ Solicitor General Brian Fletcher argued in favour of the case, stating that if the court rules in favour of Texas, it would set a dangerous precedent. It would mean “states need not comply with, or even challenge, precedents with which they disagree. They may simply outlaw the exercise of whatever rights they disfavor; disclaim state enforcement; and delegate to the general public the authority to bring harassing actions threatening ruinous liability.” Meaning, states could have too much power over the federal government. While we await the decision of United States v. Texas, the Supreme Court has refused to block SB 8. Another pivotal case for us to watch is Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which concerns the Mississippi law prohibiting abortions after fifteen weeks. This case is set for argument in the Supreme Court on December 1, 2021.

SYDNEY DVORAK

“Why is it our rights being taken?” In late 2001, Taliban rule collapsed, and the new government re-established the education system to include girls. From 20022021, schools were open to both boys and girls in Afghanistan. According to the World Bank, nearly 40 percent of all secondary school students were girls. On August 15, the former Afghan government collapsed and the Taliban retook the government. Shortly after, the Taliban leadership suspended education for girls aged 13-18. Schools in Afghanistan reopened on September 18, but millions of girls across the country were barred from attending. This prohibition deprives these Afghan girls of their basic human right to education. Until women and girls are allowed by the Taliban to return to work and school, they are echoing the questions of education advocate Toorpekai Momand: “Why do the Taliban have a problem with us? Why is it our rights that are being taken?” This example of powerful historical precedent suggests: in times of societal crisis, the rights of women are often the first to disappear. In the two months since the Taliban takeover, women’s rights and freedoms have been significantly diminished. Women who worked as public servants have not been allowed to return to work and nurseries in government buildings remain closed. Only women who work in healthcare positions have been allowed to return to work. Private universities have since reopened under a Taliban order to segregate classes by gender. Women must use different entrances and cannot interact with the men. Public universities remain closed, but women will likely not be allowed to attend or will be segregated like in private universities.

Significantly, under the previous government of the last 20 years, Afghan women achieved equal rights under the Constitution of Afghanistan. Women accounted for 25 percent of the Parliament and public service. Those guaranteed equal rights are no longer valid. These announcements have stirred fears in the Afghan people concerning women’s rights and their access to education. Women protesters have rallied, holding banners that read: “Do not politicize education,” “don’t break our pens,” “don’t burn our books,” “don’t close our school,” and “education is human identity.” Those who do protest are responded to with violence. On October 11, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi spoke at an event at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. According to him, “[t]he international community need[s] to start cooperating with us,” but he did not address the issue of allowing girls to return to secondary school. Other Islamic countries, including Qatar and Pakistan, have criticized the Taliban’s attack on women’s rights. Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, former Emir of Qatar, points out that a Muslim society does not have to betray the rights of women in the public sphere: “Our system is an Islamic system [but] we have women outnumbering men in workforces, in government and in higher education.”

“In times of societal crisis, the rights of women are often the first to disappear.” Some negotiations have occurred between the U.S. and Afghan government in which the Taliban has stated it will eventually be allowing girls to study and women to return to work. However, after more than two months in power, it continues to violate this agreement with no signs of conceding. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned this violation, and asked the Taliban to abide by its obligation to women and girls under international human rights law. He said, “Broken promises lead to broken dreams for the women and girls of Afghanistan. Women and girls need to be in the centre of attention.”

AROMANTICISM, ASEXUALITY, AND AMATONORMATIVITY ANONYMOUS

I have spent hours being lonely, but not wanting a man, or any romantic relationship at all. Am I messed up? Broken? Romance is a universal experience, right? Wrong. My entire life, the expectation has been that I will get married. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. It will happen, and it will happen with a good Christian man. For a while, I thought I just didn’t like high school guys. Then I thought I just had to wait for “the one.” But if I was going to like someone, ever, wouldn’t I have felt something toward someone? I know what love is; I have felt it, deeply and compassionately. I love reading romantic stories, but always thought the portrayal of romance, and how people do the dumbest things because of it, was over-exaggerated. Then, I saw people in my life behave the same way, and thought they were faking it. Nothing could make me act that dumb. But they were not, and I realized I did not think or feel the same way. At first, I thought I was poisoned by Christian conservatism, that I was so ashamed of my own body and emotional urges that I needed to rediscover what it meant to be a woman. That is completely not a problem anymore, but even so, I have yet to experience the yearning others do. While I thought I liked the idea of romance, I discovered (through months of therapy and tears) that I was drawn to the closeness and dedication of the relationship, not the actual physical feelings involved. I have been calling people hot and sexy my entire life, but only recently realized that there are specific, sensual feelings that are associated with those observations. I came to Trinity Western University (TWU) expecting things to be different––for my feelings to get an upgrade. It scared me when they did not. I found myself drawn to people, maybe romantically at first, only to find myself craving their friendship, yet, disgusted at the idea of being in a romantic relationship with them. Was I too arrogant? Self-cen-

tered, egotistical? Were my standards too high? I found myself knowing when people would look attractive, but never being attracted to them. Aesthetic attraction, I found out later on, was when you appreciate the beauty of someone without feeling romantically or sexually attracted to them. Turns out, that was what I was experiencing all along.

“Please let me be happy and tell you why I am not looking for a relationship. Please take me seriously. Please value me as I am.” I thought I found a place of contentment with my single friends, but then they all started getting into relationships, and I was overcome with feelings of fear and brokenness. Why the hell could I not feel anything like that? Was I destined to be alone? I did not mind not having a significant other, but I hated the thought of being abandoned by my friends who had become my family. So many people, Christians especially, view romantic partnership to be the ultimate goal of life, the peak of existence. I have seen people choose their romantic partners over all else, leaving previous friendships behind in the dust, because your romantic partner is the most important, right? What about familial relationships? Platonic ones? Of the seven Greek words for love, only two are romantically or sexually focused. So why are they considered the most important? When I say that I am not in a relationship, and no, I am not interested in anyone, people automatically jump to the idea that I am either a closeted lesbian, or that I have turned bitter because no one is interested in me. What a poisonous narrative that is. This concept is called amatonormativity, which, according to Dr. Elizabeth Brake, is “the assumption that a central, exclusive, amorous relation-

ship is normal for humans, in that it is a universally shared goal, and that such a relationship is normative, in that it should be aimed at in preference to other relationship types.” Am I, as a single person, less valued? Why do people ask me if I am in a relationship, if I am even looking for a relationship, like it is a sin or there is something wrong with me if I am not? In so many movies is it essential that the protagonist ends up in a romantic relationship in order for it to be a happy ending, even when romance is not the plot’s focus. Think of the numerous narratives, for kids and adults, in which romance is a necessary part to live a fulfilling life. Mary Magdalene, Martha, Joseph, Ruth, John the Baptist, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Anna: they were all single. The apostle Paul was single and even talks about being “gifted” by God with singleness (1 Cor. 7:7). Not all of these people were single in order to dedicate their lives to God. So, why is it shameful? Why is it that when I have told people I identify as an aromantic asexual (lacking both romantic and sexual attraction), they think I am just complaining to justify my singleness? “Are you sure you just haven’t found the right one yet?” Yes, I am, thank you. Please let me be happy and tell you why I am not looking for a relationship. Please take me seriously. Please value me as I am. I can still feel love as fiercely and as strongly as anyone else, but I am afraid that if I tell people, they will think I am a robot that is incapable of empathizing or understanding romance. I do not want that to affect my job prospects, friendships, or family. I am scared of being judged by the things that I do not do, rather than by the things that I am. That is why this piece is anonymous. Maybe, if you do not know who I am, this will have more of an impact. Maybe you will care. I just want to be chosen first. I want someone to know all of my flaws, but love me anyway, and know me inside and out. But who will pick me first if everyone else has already picked their romantic partner?

MAC MILLER’S FACES: LIFE, DEATH, AND REBIRTH SETH SCHOUTEN

When Mac Miller passed away in September, 2018, hip-hop lost one of the most exciting, dynamic, and talented musicians working in the genre. The rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist was known for his ventures into unique, experimental territory creating one-ofa-kind sounding music. On October 13, Miller’s estate re-released his beloved 2014 mixtape Faces, now available for the first time on streaming services and vinyl. The record, Miller’s eleventh and final mixtape, is conflicting, vibrant, and deeply personal. It is embellished with a unique blend of intricate sounds and complicated lyrics that leave a haunting impression. Since then, I have not been able to stop listening to it. Faces is a challenging album to talk about. It is messy, imperfect, and a critical shifting point in Miller’s career as he reinvents himself and his sound. It is the result of burnout and desperate artistic self-renaissance. Years after Miller’s passing, Faces finds a brand new emotional context and is perhaps Miller’s defining piece of work. What is Faces? After the monumental success of his first two albums and the intense pressure that they placed upon him, Faces is Miller returning to his sacred space of music. Miller broke into the mainstream with his mixtape K.I.D.S. He followed that success with his debut album Blue Slide Park in 2011, which was at the time the first independent album in sixteen years to go No. 1. Miller’s follow-up album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off in 2013, was a sonic departure from the “frat boy” rap of his early career. He drastically altered his sound by introducing psychedelic elements and unique production work, which he had done primarily himself. Reactions to Watching Movies were incredibly strong, with his financial success seeing no sign of slowing down; however, the stress of fame weighed heavily on him. After spending years constantly performing shows around the world and finding himself between record labels, Miller came down with a severe case of burnout and wanted nothing more than to isolate and create.

Faces was born out of a swirl of creative chaos that reflected Miller’s internal turbulence and burning creative drive. Josh Berg, a producer and engineer for Faces, said that “[f]or the last few years, he had ridden this incredible wave of success, but that success came at a cost [...] Towards the end of [2013], you had to literally pry him out of [his home studio] with a crowbar.” Miller was creating endlessly with no clear end goal or project in mind. When reflecting on Faces, Big Jerm, a friend of Miller and another of the record’s many producers, said, “[Miller] was recording so much, I didn’t know if there was any purpose.”

“Faces was born out of a swirl of creative chaos that reflected Miller’s internal turbulence and burning creative drive.” The mixtape was Miller further reinventing himself. The results were rough around the edges but honest about the process. Producer and bassist Thundercat said of the record, “You can see brush strokes of it.” Faces is this passionate blend of the many styles that Miller had previously inhabited, and the ones that would dominate much of his later career. It takes the psychedelic elements of Watching Movies and blends them with the jazz influences of Swimming. It combines the reckless youthfulness of K.I.D.S. with hints of the painful introspection of Circles. The lyrical content alternates wildly between themes of death, life, mortality, addiction, and substance abuse. Listening to it now, Faces is almost Miller’s self-obituary as it attempts to encapsulate all of the joy and hurt in his life.

The opening track, “Inside Out,” begins with the line, “I shoulda died already,” demonstrating Miller’s fierce awareness of his mortality and the fragile tension that exists within. The path of addiction will almost certainly lead to early death, so why not make the most of it through creative expression? The track “Malibu” also shows Miller’s strong reaction against his own tendencies with his repeated, self-abusing line, “you piece of s—,” and confessing to being “the only suicidal motherf—er with a smile on” at the start of the second verse. Tracks like “Happy Birthday” and “Wedding” are all about Miller’s search for meaning in a world that cannot connect with him. In “Happy Birthday,” he demonstrates his disconnection with the world of success and fame around him; his birthday party is happening in the next room while he sits alone in his studio. “Wedding” is his ode to Miller’s dysfunctional relationships, and acknowledgement of his failures and needs to make amends. The crooning saxophone of “Diablo” and the trippy atmosphere of “Colors and Shapes” showcase some of the Faces’ most beautiful production work. The re-release of Faces ends with the track “Yeah,” a beautiful retroactive addition, which evokes the themes of sin, depression, and the endless pressure of success found throughout the mixtape. It is a song about death and legacy. Featuring an immense vocal choir, rich bass, strings, a simple, lonesome piano melody, and sprinkles of electric guitar, the track is a nihilistic summary of the album, a track that left me speechless after I heard it. It is a track that is so much more ambitious, powerful, and raw, but that is true of all of Faces. In a genius annotation for a track off his album GO:OD AM, Miller wrote that “I don’t know why all my albums end in death. I guess because that’s what happens in life.” Miller saw death as his inevitable ending place. Now, in death, his music is his immortalization.

CLOWNS ARE ONLY AS SCARY AS YOU MAKE THEM LORIN SCAIANO

Nowadays when we think of clowns, we think of Pennywise, The Joker, and Pogo the (Killer) Clown. Even the not-so-evil clowns such as Ronald McDonald are still seen as the antagonist of many low-budget horror films. This fear of clowns may seem regular now, but even just one hundred years ago the idea of a “killer clown” was unheard of. Where did this fear come from? Since the first clowns were hired in Egypt (around 4400 years ago), they have always been seen as a source of joy and laughter. From common fools entertaining the Anglo Saxons to jesters of the Song Dynasty, to the mimes populating France, they have always been the subject of humour or sometimes ridicule. When asked why they do it, amateur clown Toes the Fool said, “Clowns are cool! Also being a silly, goofy, fun guy is easier in a silly goofy costume with fun makeup. Puts you in the right mood to be rambunctious.” If clowns are so full of joy, then why are we scared of them? Why can we only think of killer clowns instead of goofy ones? The answer is simpler than you may expect: Hollywood. The first “scary clown movie,” He Who Gets Slapped, came out in 1924,

a whopping 97 years ago. This movie is one of a kind, showing clowns as scary and full of anger years before anyone else. Even so, these clowns are not yet the scary clowns we know so well today. That would have to wait until 1980 with Terror on Tour. These movies and the many that followed were revolutionary at first. They were creating horror out of something beloved, the same way dolls are now the subject of spook and fright, instead of a plaything for a child. But, those movies are not revolutionary anymore, because clowns are not as known to spark joy as they used to. However, it does not have to be this way. Describing people’s common reactions to clownery, Toes the Fool said quite wisely, “I guess [it] depends on the person; some people are down to clown and some people aren’t.” This shows that while the clowns we see are often scary and meant to strike fear, you can change that. Start clowning around for once, see how it is. People can still like clowns, it just takes a little bit of common sense, realizing life is not like Hollywood. Clowns are only out to get you smiling.

“Start clowning around for once, see how it is. People can still like clowns, it just takes a little bit of common sense, realizing life isn’t like Hollywood. Clowns are only out to get you smiling.”

INSIDES OUT PART II: JOKING AT A TIME LIKE THIS CHRISTA LYFORD

Contains spoilers for Netflix’s Inside (2021). In the midst of isolating lockdowns, economic turmoil, and socio-political upheaval, Bo Burnham’s Inside appeared on Netflix’s “New Arrivals” category on May 30, 2021. This appearance came as a surprise—was he not the comedian who had disappeared from standup comedy? He had not performed onstage for five years. After the success of his indie film 8th Grade, many assumed he had left standup for directing. Yet despite these assumptions, here he was. While Inside includes more of Burnham’s signature irreverent musical numbers, there is more than the tinge of ironic introspection that his past shows contained. We have already explored Act I of the award-winning special (See Mars’ Hill Volume 26 Issue 3: Fever Dream), and Act II twists that quirky tone into something a bit darker. Act II opens: Bo Burnham addresses the audience head-on: “How are you feeling? Do you like the show? / Are you tired of it? Never mind, I don’t wanna know.” He is no longer facing the camera–– this angle is of him at a side profile. The shot is uncentered, and he is under a hazy yellow spotlight, seated at his keyboard. The room is noticeably more cluttered. “Is there anyone out there? Or am I all alone?” he sings. “It wouldn’t make a difference, still, I don’t wanna know.” There are no more songs about video-calling with his mom, sock puppet performative activism, or making fun of Instagram. Act II is filled with trippy visual sequences and somber confessions to his camera. After a dark reprise dedicated to Jeffrey Bezos, there is a sixteen-second shot of a disheveled Burnham staring offscreen at haunting echoes of audience laughter. Later on, he performs standup in the empty room. There is no laugh track, no audience, just the flickering of stage lights.

Burnham later plays a soft, acoustic guitar ballad, “That Funny Feeling.” “Twenty-thousand years of this, seven more to go,” he sings. “A gift shop at the gun range, a mass shooting at the mall… A book on getting better, hand-delivered by a drone.” The lyrics paint pictures of our fragmented, surreal world, with its modern conventions and inherent contradictions. It is a feeling he cannot fully explain, and neither can we.

“[Inside] is the self-portrait of an artist fighting to maintain his sanity, and the purpose of his art, amidst the circumstances that have transformed our world and culture.” A vulnerable monologue follows this number: Burnham reveals he has been working on this special, filming it all by himself, in this single room, for a year now. He breaks down. The perspective narrows in on the hollow blackness of a camera lens as Burnham sobs, out of frame. In “All Eyes on Me,” Burnham reveals the reason for his return. He had quit the standup scene due to severe panic attacks that overtook him while performing. For five years, he had worked on “improving himself mentally,” and was ready to stop “hiding from the world.” He planned to start performing comedy again in January of 2020. “And then,” he muses, “the funniest thing happened.”

Burnham never mentions the pandemic by name, but we all recognize what he is referring to. The pandemic has set back all of our lives in various forms; it sent many of us spiralling into depressions that still affect us to this day. Our professional and personal lives may have suffered. We may have lost people. For Burnham, it has forced him back into hiding––the social anxiety that he struggles with is embodied in the refrain “Look Who’s Inside Again” that crops up throughout Inside. The question is raised: does Burnham ever make it outside? Does he emerge from this experience ready to take on the world and return to the stage? The ending reveals that he does not. In a nightmarish sequence, Burnham finally opens the door, only to reveal that the door simply leads to a massive stage, where a spotlight floods his eyes. An audience begins cheering and laughing. He frantically tries to open the door and go back inside, but it is locked. The laughter swells as he collapses against the locked door. The perspective shifts again; Burnham is watching himself and his onscreen panic attack while still inside. He never left at all. With all the talk of “unprecedented times” and “emerging stronger” from the pandemic, Inside’s ending is a different take. It is not a sermon to viewers; it is the self-portrait of an artist fighting to maintain his sanity, and the purpose of his art, amidst the circumstances that have transformed our world and culture. The questions Inside poses are not answered. What does it mean to be an entertainer in these times? Can we return to the lives we lived before COVID? We are left with the ringing echo of his own anxieties, as Burnham himself asks, “Does anybody want to joke / When no one’s laughing in the background?”

The Mars’Hill CampusCOVID-19 Survey 10

CARTER SAWATZKY On August 24, 2021, B.C. announced that university students living in on-campus housing will need proof of vaccination per the Provincial Health Order (PHO) for post-secondary housing. This meant swift changes for the Trinity Western University (TWU) community. Prospective TWU residents were mandated to be at least partially vaccinated and were required to submit their immunization status to Student Life prior to the September 23 deadline––when the PHO took effect. No medical, religious, personal exemptions were provided. While some made the choice to get vaccinated in order to live on-campus, others––who did not commit to getting the vaccine before the deadline––were asked to find off-campus housing. The vaccine mandate resulted in a residence upheaval and noticeable off-campus migration.

3% 11%

Despite the mandates in place, there are still unvaccinated students living on-campus. As of October 20, 2021, TWU reported that over 94.5 percent of TWU students living on-campus are fully vaccinated or have received their first dose. This means that, while the exact number of partially vaccinated residents is undisclosed, 5.5 percent of all TWU residents in dorms and apartments remain unvaccinated (or are considered unvaccinated per the PHO if they have not submitted any proof of immunization). According to provincial health orders, unvaccinated residents are legally required to wear a mask when outside their room.

86%

Regardless of vaccination status, non-medical masks are required in most indoor spaces at TWU. In response to the high volume of questions and concerns about campus COVID-19 guidelines and provincial health orders, TWU unveiled its COVID-19 Concern Form on October 1 to “better understand community concerns, identify when and where additional education or intervention is needed, and to manage larger issues with a wider cross-section of our staff more effectively.” The COVID-19 Concern Form allows TWU students and employees to list the name of the student involved, the alleged infraction (not wearing a mask, or another PHO violation), and any other details of the infraction. To provide some clarity around COVID-19 health and safety policies, we requested a comment from Taryne Lepp, the TWU Public Health Lead, on our existing questions:

58%

Mars’ Hill: On what grounds is TWU allowing unvaccinated students (the 5.5 percent of current residents) to remain in on-campus housing? Taryne Lepp: “The Provincial Health Order regarding Post-Secondary Housing does not provide a legal option for the removal of an unvaccinated resident by an institution. Rather, the law requires any unvaccinated resident (as defined by the PHO) to always wear a mask when outside their room for as long as the order remains in place. All TWU residents must abide by provincial health orders and restrictions in place under BC law as highlighted in the 2021/2022 Resident Agreement and Student Handbook which are enforced per the university’s accountability process. Furthermore, for the duration of this academic year, any new applicants for TWU housing must provide proof of vaccination in accordance with the provincial health order to qualify for acceptance.”

34% 26% 13% 7%

MH: Why were some unvaccinated students told to find alternative housing while others continue to be allowed in residence? Taryne Lepp: “The final written order was publicly released on September 11, 2021, 18 days after the verbal order was made by Dr. Bonnie Henry on August 24. During that time, TWU had little more than the initial statement, which indicated residents must be vaccinated by September 7. Like all BC post-secondary institutions, TWU responded to the best of our ability based on the information we had then, in consultation with Fraser Health, our regional health authority, as legally required under the BC Public Health Act. The province’s announcement was very last minute, only two weeks before classes started. Considering this, and in the service of transparency, we told students we could not guarantee unvaccinated residents would be legally permitted to access housing after September 7 as that is what we understood to the best of our knowledge. When the written orders had not been published ahead of move-in weekend (September 4-7), Fraser Health advised post-secondary institutions to not deny housing to unvaccinated students as they would have more time to get vaccinated past September 7 or make final individual choices. In the end, the orders were implemented on September 23, a month after first announced, and with more nuance than initially described to institutions or the public. “Throughout this time TWU staff have worked closely with students adversely impacted by the public health orders to do everything we can within the legal orders to help them progress with their education. I know all our students, regardless of vaccination status, continue to be impacted by the pandemic. I am grateful for the ongoing commitment of our community to the health and safety of one another, the care for peers and colleagues I see and hear about every week, and for the daily choice of so many at TWU to keep learning, together.” If not already clear, there is a diversity of perspectives on campus about COVID-19, the mask and vaccine mandates, and how it has affected the way we engage with life on-campus. In our Campus COVID-19 Survey, we asked students to provide their perspectives on this ongoing conversation. Here are the results from our 239 respondents.

31%

37%

32%

HAVE THE MASK AND VACCINE MANDATES MADE YOU FEEL SAFER ON CAMPUS? Yes. I feel safer on campus knowing that (most) people in dorms/apartments are vaccinated Yes! Except it’s typically unvaccinated people who don’t wear masks which makes me feel unsafe.

Yes, but the poor compliance with public health orders on campus is extremely frustrating.

12%

Absolutely not, it has just pitched everyone against one another and heavily influenced “othering.” Since I wish I was able to get the vaccine and can’t, yes

54%

33%

No, I feel safe without any mask or vaccine mandates. Yes, because I don’t want to experience lockdown again. No…they’ve felt restrictive. It’s unnecessary for college age students. It should not be mandated. The mask mandate makes me feel safer, I feel the vaccine mandate is too extreme No, they’ve done nothing to help me but they limit me from being in community and building relationships.

No, it has made campus a hostile place. Yes! When I heard that one of my friends had covid I was terrified, (losing 2 weeks of class would tank my grades), but knowing everyone else wore masks and was vaccinated helped me stay confident I was less likely to get it. Yes! Especially when it comes to on-campus living when we’re all in such close proximity. No. They create a social barrier that is extremely hard to bypass without removing it. I’ve seen some workers be rude and judgemental, name calling, all because someone was drinking their coffee. Masks yes, mandates seem pretty arbitrary at this point. I can go to chapel in the morning but not the gym in the afternoon? thank goodness covid decided to respect my religious freedoms. No. They make me feel alienated, coerced, and guilted. I think they are good implementations that’ll safeguard against potential outbreaks. I don’t like having to wear a mask, but I’ll do it as long as I need to.

WHAT COULD TWU DO TO MAKE YOU FEEL MORE SAFE AND WELCOME ON CAMPUS IN REGARDS TO COVID-19?

63% 46% 45%

Let us know if someone in our class or collegium tests positive (anonymously of course) so we can be aware of potential contact.

They’re following the law. But if they keep their own restrictions after the government is lifted, then they’re doing too much.

I don’t believe that TWU has followed Provincial Guidelines to their fullest based on rumors of unvaccinated residents.

Regular covid tests for unvaccinated students and faculty.

They could pick a side, either allow everyone or only vaccinated people but stop being hesitant when it comes to housing rules and campus events.

Atrium could enforce masks, testing could be more available for everyone. LLC mandates weekly rapid tests, so doing that for unvaccinated students would be good if costs are covered for them.

Create a safer environment for students, regardless of vaccine status. The strict mandates and rules are creating a massive divide.

No more mask-less inside parties would be preferable for those of us with immunocompromised families and people we want to protect :)

Lift the mandate for fully vaccinated students.

Make the vaccine mandatory for in person classes.

I’m fine, but they should stop excluding those who have vaccine hesitancy and focus on education instead.

A space to protect and support all medical and religious convictions.

No alienating the unvaccinated.

They need to treat those in isolation better, because they often don’t have covid and they just get forgotten about. Sometimes they don’t get fed. It’s ridiculous.

It is hard to say, cause the situation is always changing, so it’s very hard to keep up. I do think they’ll have to start relaxing some of the measures cause we’re at the point where we need to roll with what we got. I don’t think we can do any better now then we would later.

Do better checks on people wearing masks, and make sure everyone in dorms and attending events are vaccinated. The rules are awesome, but need to be enforced better.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLAIN YOUR RESPONSE TO ANY OF THE PREVIOUS QUESTIONS, OR MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? I only feel uncomfortable with unvaccinated people living on campus because I think it’s disrespectful to those who didn’t want the vaccine and got it out of respect for what the school asked. it is selfish of those who won’t get it and refuse too. I feel like the topic of the vaccine is quite taboo here. You never know who is going to be a strong antivaxxer, so it’s hard to know who you can talk to about it. Get the vax, don’t get the vax, idc just hate it when the government forces me to put something in my body. Only got it so I can play sports.

10% 38%

26%

I am unable to get the vaccine due to family issues, I was told that I would be unable to continue my schooling if I got it so I decided not to, but wish I could. Vaccination is the #1 lifesaving health intervention of vaccine preventable disease (ie COVID) and i think people need to be educated and listen to actual medical advice when deciding whether or not to get vaccinated. I think people who are unvaccinated are being selfish, ignorant, and that they should accept the ‘consequences’ (not being able to do/go to certain things) of their decision to not get vaccinated. I’m not uncomfortable around unvaccinated people when they actually make an effort to be safe. But I feel there are a lot of unvaccinated students on campus who don’t understand the risk they bring. I do not feel uncomfortable with unvaccinated members of the TWU community who have legitimate medical conditions that keep them from getting vaccinated. However, those who are citing “freedom” and “faith” reasons for not getting vaccinated are needlessly increasing the risk factor for the whole community (nevermind the other debated issues with these reasons) and this is what makes me uncomfortable. It seems very selfish and does not align with TWU’s famed sense of “community” that we all claim to love so much.

BC policy on vaccine mandates for non-essential activities is fine and fair but our housing as students is essential whether on a campus or not. Loving our neighbour is the highest command after loving God, and we show our love for God by caring for the rest of creation. Taking the step to be vaccinated is a part of that. I know vaccination is a matter of personal preference but at the same time I hope we accept reality soon and just live the way we used to. I believe in science, am double vaccinated, but I do believe in some degree of medical freedom. Students who refuse to get vaccinated or wear a mask in public spaces and class rooms make me uncomfortable because I see this as being an irresponsible member of community. We are all young adults. Our risk of Covid is so minimal that the vaccines for us are unnecessary unless we have other co-morbidities. I think there needs to be more grace for the un-vaccinated. Though I totally understand people feeling uncomfortable around un-vaccinated people, I also believe the language we use around them like “selfish” and “ignorant” can be too harsh. Scientists know more than us, yes, but some people are just scared. You can have a personal opinion about something until that opinion begins to harm others or put them in jeopardy. Then, it’s no longer an opinion, but a responsibility to look beyond just yourself and actually put loving others into action.

PAY FOR THE FUTURE YOU WANT; OR DON’T KYLE PENNER

Ads are everywhere. They are everywhere, and I am quite sure that’s a bad thing. Advertisements are not new––they have been around for a long time at this point. They have certainly begun to take on a different sort of character though. The internet has transformed the ad-based revenue model into something grotesque. The internet is rife with ads and many of its most prominent spaces rely on the revenue that advertisers provide in order to function normally. People who make a living online have historically relied on ad revenue for their income; this is true of your favourite YouTubers, bloggers, and podcasters. Times may be changing, however. Platforms have arisen that allow content creators to be funded directly by their fan-bases instead of relying on payment by proxy via unaffiliated advertisers. I am referring to platforms such as Patreon and Substack (OnlyFans anyone?) that allow creators to put their content behind a paywall. Critically, the pay-scale is at the discretion of creators themselves, so while some may opt to have content available only to paid subscribers, many will have a system whereby some content remains free for all but certain bonus content will be available to those who are willing to pay up. Some may have the system in place solely as a kind of tip jar, where people may decide to subscribe out of the goodness of their hearts without any extra gain of their own. This system is better than the kind of ad-based models that preceded it for a number of reasons. The ubiquity of ads is dangerous, verging on disastrous. The use of ads is one of the main tools in the arsenal of bad actors seeking to polarize online communities. This polarization has been noted by some as having had concretely negative impacts in real-life scenarios, such as the American presidential elections. Even without relying on such extreme examples, the selling-out of one’s interests to external sources is never ideal. You may think that you are wise to the effects of advertising and thus immune; you would be wrong. Advertisements work, that is why companies are willing

to spend millions on advertising. I am extremely wary of continuing to allow massive corporations to wield such power over us. A move away from ubiquitous advertising is surely advantageous. This kind of system can be rewarding for the consumer. By donating directly to the creator of the content that you crave you play an active role in assuring its continuance. Smaller creators, funded by their own fans can now carve out a niche for themselves in spaces that are dominated by a small few; participating in the availability of this sort of compensation is a way to stand up for the little guy, or get one over on the system, so to speak. It embeds you in a community of like-minded individuals who are also willing to sacrifice their hard-earned income to be there. Quite frankly, it can feel good to put your money where your mouth is; there is a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy in the way that by acting as though something is of value by paying for it, it then attains that value. For many of us, the available income for such purchases is small; thus, choosing to support some creators is always to exclude others--adding to the significance of the choice and the value invested. On the whole, this type of model is a much more immersive and holistic way to consume content. This move is better for the creators too. For those who make a living off of Patreon subscribers it must be a good feeling to know that one’s product is directly valuable to (often) thousands of people. This sort of compensatory schema is surely more straightforward than relying on ad-revenue. Gone too, are the pressures to conform to standards (implicit or explicit) of advertising companies. Freedom of speech is preserved when content is not subject to censorship (or fear of censorship) by a third party. It is important to note, however, that there is on-going debate on this front: some feel, for instance, that Patreon has not taken a strong enough stance in favour of free speech, and of course others worry about giving just anyone a platform. One can see the problem; the line between censoring free speech and extinguishing hate is fine, if indeed there is a line to be found.

Thus, this move away from ad-based revenue models does not constitute an unfettered good. Perhaps the biggest problem that this new era of internet compensation represents is the way that it has the potential to increase our fragmentation into social factions. Media is already divided; news outlets have become more straightforwardly biased (even within my lifespan), and the “echo-chamber” has become a well-known societal ill. I worry that the migration of content out of shared spaces and into their own corners, each funded only by those who more-or-less directly agree with what they are saying, will only increase the kind of division that we are already widely seeing. The failure of once-prominent media institutions is not a good thing.

“I am extremely wary of continuing to allow massive corporations to wield such power over us. A move away from ubiquitous advertising is surely advantageous.” So, what do we make of it all? A tough question. As far as I am concerned, the ad-based model has to go. We need to proceed with caution, though, lest we find ourselves jumping from frying pan to fire. Perhaps the greatest good that the move towards more direct, subscription-based payment models represents is the thoughtfulness that is coincident in it. It is only by proceeding thoughtfully that we will avoid the pitfalls that lie ahead. Our track record leaves me skeptical, so, I suppose, I entreat you to pay for the future you want; or don’t.

WAIT, WHAT? SADIE MCDONALD

Knowledge looks like scratching your head instead of raising your hand. After beginning my studies in English literature, it became apparent to me that we are in a way of linguistic limitation. Paradoxically, post-secondary institutions are some of the worst places to learn because they are filled with people who think they have nothing more to discover and try to convince others of their infinite knowledge using language. People adore fancy words. Scholars cannot stop using them. So if you like big words, here is one: Epistemic humility: knowing that you do not know. Or if you like gambling you can say, “Know your limit, learn within it!”

“When surrounded by the ‘bad’ use of the English language, we become fooled into thinking we will eventually know everything.” In his essay, “Politics and the English Language,” George Orwell cautions against poor use of the English language and warns that language corrupts thought, criticising the use of verbal false limbs, dying metaphors, pretentious diction, and euphemisms. In it he says, “As soon as certain topics are raised, the concrete melts into the abstract and no one seems able to think of turns of speech that are not hackneyed: prose consists less and

less of words chosen for the sake of their meaning, and more and more of phrases tacked together like the sections of a prefabricated henhouse.” We have all been exposed to the “henhouse” before. It is the class discussion dominated by three students who fling out jargon from the textbook, with the occasional classic Christian answer of “Jesus!” It sounds like this: “The intersectionality between faith and reason is counterintuitive but not unheard of, the inevitable progression of religious expansion and tolerant theism has enabled science to inherently stray away from its juxtapositional relationship to belief in the existence of God.” “Wait, what?” Most people who speak like that do not know what they mean and will not offer further explanation. Either that, or they will simply restate their point as if begging the question were evidence to support their opinion. Their grand words are nonsense presented on a silver platter, designed to flow off the tongue and go in one ear and out the other. But should we not know better? The use of lazy language is convenient at an institution with high standards and we get tired of thinking for ourselves. It is tempting to fall into passivity when education is so active in its command to engage. We are inundated by degraded speech that is built on an educational construct to imitate. Now I am not arguing that elaborate words are useless. In fact, as a student in the FHSS (the Latin motto being veritas - libertas - humanitas), I am required to take two language courses to complete my degree. However, as Orwell states, “Bad writ-

ers, and especially scientific, political, and sociological writers, are nearly always haunted by the notion that Latin or Greek words are grander than Saxon ones.” Orwell also acknowledges that he commits the faults he criticizes other writers for, and I admit that I use pretentious diction, too, because it is common in the study of English literature.

“Their grand words are nonsense presented on a silver platter, designed to flow off the tongue and go in one ear and out the other.” When surrounded by the “bad” use of the English language, we become fooled into thinking we will eventually know everything. We have a penchant for the immediate and the familiar, which makes even critical thinkers fallible to confirmation bias and the availability heuristic. But there is a solution, which Orwell proposed was simplifying the English language by changing our habits, and I would supplement that with the development of epistemic humility. If we are going to immerse ourselves in the world of academia, we must accept the limitations of our knowledge. It is then that we must embrace the unknown and surrender, not with our hands held high but mouths open and say, “I don’t know.”

TO BE FOREIGN ALICE JUN

Foreignness invokes mixed emotions in one’s mind. Sometimes it is refreshing, and other times it is daunting. This is what being foreign invokes in me:

lid hand-folded to use as a bowl can be compelling to those who are trying for the first time. The engagement of exotic bliss infuses the divinity of freshness in one’s life.

To be foreign is to be beautiful. Traditional art from other cultures and new ways of reflecting introspectively from foreign countries can be dazzling. Encountering literary works of Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu and Persian poet Rumi can stir awestruck wonder with authentic knowledge. To be foreign is to be global, and the diversity inspires people to feel a heartfelt appreciation for sterling beauty—both visually, and inwardly.

To be foreign is to be intimidated. Being introduced to a new experience can cause uncertainty and vulnerability. Meeting new people for the first time, or learning an unfamiliar skill can be fearful. Looking at foreign vegetables like spiky chayote, and an unknown insect such as spotted lantern fly can be threatening. Participating in an undiscovered realm outside of one’s pool of experience can grant an abstract confusion.

To be foreign is to be exciting. An exotic appearance from an Haute Couture fashion show and new flavours such as pistachio bubble tea or green tea financier are refreshing and enjoyable. Also, interacting with an old object in a new—foreign—way can be stimulating. For example, people usually eat instant noodles straight out of the cup. However, eating the South Korean way of its

To be foreign is to be lonely. A new environment can feel lonely and unfamiliar. When a person moves to a foreign town, unfamiliarity seeps into one’s cells like an icy loneliness. Moreover, having a foreign appearance that is sidelined from the mainstream appearance can make one feel alone. A white person living in a Black neighbourhood, or wearing track pants when everybody else is

dressed up in high-end black outfits can make one feel lonesome. Feeling out of place in one’s environment creates a deep sense of alienation. To be foreign is to be funny. A new culture that you are not used to may be funny at first in its strangeness. The smell of fermented cheese, banging gongs, or traditional music chanted in different languages are not very funny to those who are accustomed to it. Some may find these things to be funny, but it is because these cultural elements are unfamiliar—foreign—to them. The unfamiliar element that one is not commonly exposed to can arouse an unaccustomed feeling in one’s mind. Immersing oneself in the concept of foreignness can be mesmeric and exhilarating—it can also provoke disconnection, suspicion, and confusion. Regardless of the impassioned rollercoaster ride, experiencing foreignness grants an evolution to the mental capacity—it is an essential element to the ripening of one’s mind.

“Hello, I’m Different” The Alienation Of Coming Out Lex Diersch

Sacred /ˈ sākrəd / (Adj.) Unusual, inexplicable, extraordinary I was in my cousin’s car on the way to Thanksgiving dinner. I was trying to explain how emotionally and mentally exhausting it is to come out to someone, even if you know that person will be supportive. She did not get it. She could not understand from her cis woman point of view what coming out as trans or non-binary is like, no matter how eloquently I crafted metaphors.

“It is broken hearts and unanswered texts and lying awake at night wishing you were in a different body or a different life.” Stuffing myself into a closet for over six months was suffocating and damaging in so many ways. Coming out was life-changing––it meant I could finally live free from the shackles of binaries and just exist as I am. But no one talks about coming out as a process. I always hear coming out stories as a one-time thing: you do it once, and then you are out, and that is it. That is not true in the slightest.

“It creates a chasm between you and the people you have always loved that is so deep it may never be repaired.” It is a process––long, and difficult, and exhausting. It involves a lot of tears, a lot of broken relationships, and a lot of hurtful words that echo in your head for the rest of your life. It is explaining over, and over, and over, and reintroducing yourself to everyone you have ever met. It is broken hearts and unanswered texts and lying awake at night wishing you were in a different body or a different life. It is looking in the mirror and not seeing yourself––only a distorted version that you can no longer bear to look at. It is having a panic attack because the restaurant only has two washrooms and you cannot for the life of you bring yourself to pick one because neither feels right or you are just too ashamed and uncomfort-

able to choose the right one. It is being called the wrong name and being gendered in a way that twists the knife in your stomach. They call you the wrong things and you correct them, but they either do not hear you or just do not care. It creates a chasm between you and the people you have always loved that is so deep it may never be repaired. It makes people look at you differently. It is transitioning for months or years, but people still get it wrong. It is being so completely exhausted from constantly trying to correct people and stick up for yourself that you eventually give up and stop caring and let the knife twist deeper and deeper until you can no longer feel anything except the steel.

“It is wanting everyone to see you for who you truly are––to love you because, not despite.” It is going onto social media and seeing people who are like you denied healthcare, hate-crimed, and discriminated against. It is watching your classmates and your government debate over your right to exist as yourself. It is alienating. It is being marked as “other”—the name you use is not the same as the one on your ID. It is stepping up and saying, “Hello, I’m different.” It is crying alone as your world falls apart because nobody understands. It is lying awake because you are not completely sure who you are anymore––you live a double life and you can never be fully rid of your past self. It is emailing professors saying, “I know there is a different name in the system but I do not use that one anymore.” It is hoping that people will ask you what pronouns you use or just somehow intuitively know because if you have to correct someone one more time you are going to scream. It is wanting everyone to see you for who you truly are–– to love you because, not despite. It is a never-ending uphill battle. It is gruelling. But I would rather be sacred than nothing.

What is your major, year, and hometown? I’m in my fourth year of the SAMC major with a double concentration on Film studies and Art + Design, and I am from South Korea. How long have you been doing visual art? My mother has served in the church with crafts, decorations, and design. I used to watch her working on that next to her and we’d do those together from the youngest age I remember. She used to provide art activities for children in the church, and as I participated in those activities, I was able to get various art experiences. In my teens, craft(ing) was one of the ways to relieve academic stress. The tactile stimulation and sense of accomplishment from craft activities seem to have helped. After graduating from high school, I started working as a graphic designer. I worked for five years until I came to TWU, which was a time for me to get hands-on experience of the industry and become used to various design software. What is your favourite medium of art? As I encompass various visual art forms, it is a bit of a painful question to just pick one favourite medium, but I think I like charcoal the most. Vine charcoal is the first material I experienced when I came here, and I like the soft texture it creates. It can render the subject figure by blending and layering it, and its process is fascinating to me. The process of starting from a vague surface and narrowing it down by multiple layers and highlights makes me calm and focused. It is also easy to modify, relieving the pressure on drawing. What is your creative process, and how has it changed or evolved over the years? Honestly, before I started studying at TWU, I had a fear of fine art. It seemed like a field that only those who were really talented and had a firm belief in their work could be in. However, while taking art classes, these stereotypes and fears were broken. Through art and film, I learned how to approach and understand art. These not only broadened my perspective but also had a great influence on my art. I began to consider not only the visual completeness of the image but also how each element that constitutes it supports the theme––for example, letting the material selection and installation method of the work have a meaning. In this way, I have made great progress

composing art, and it is the same in technological aspects. My previous works were mainly graphic design, but now I make a lot of works in forms such as art and films. In particular, the expansion to animation and 3D graphics is a part that I am really excited about. This expansion into various art forms has enabled me to explore various possibilities. Recently, my works consist of a collection of several forms in one theme, or one form, which combines several other forms. I think this interdisciplinary collaboration enriches my creative process and makes my art unique. What message(s) do you want to express through your artwork? While working as a graphic designer, I learned how much design helps people to understand something––I worked on infographics, and it was fun to organize information and make it easier for people to understand. I hope that my ability would not only work on the commercial side but also help people’s journey in life. The greatest value of my life is Jesus, so I hope that my work helps people understand God. I am interested in helping children establish their identity, perspective of perceiving the world, and attitude on their life with God, so, I started studying to make educational materials for Christian kids (similarly to The Bible Project). Now I want to take various art forms, not limit them to explanatory forms. Is this something you would like to pursue professionally? How are you hoping to use your talent after you graduate? The forms of art I take may vary over the years, but I think I will live as an artist all my life. Art is my primary tool to express my ideas and I think it cannot be separated from me. I plan to return to Korea after graduation and form a team to work on educational materials for Christian children. However, I enjoyed learning at TWU so much and it was super helpful, so if I have an opportunity to study more, I would like to consider it. I am pretty open-minded to my future now. Do you have a favourite artist or one that you consider a mentor or a role model? I don’t have a specific role model or favourite artist, but recently I’m interested in Barnett Newman and his colour-field abstract paintings.

How did you first get involved with running Track and Cross Country? I always liked sports and being outside growing up, and I especially enjoyed playing soccer. I remember during my Grade 8 soccer try-outs, the first thing we did was run laps around the field, and I beat everyone else by at least half a lap. As I got older I started to realize I maybe wasn’t the most coordinated soccer-wise, so my coach at the time recommended that I consider doing track. From Grade 9 onwards I ran on the track team, but I came from a really small private high school that really only consisted of just me and one other person, where his mom would drive us to our outof-town competitions. Now since I’ve left my high school program, it has gotten a lot bigger, which is great to see, but it’s really cool for me that I was able to be there from the start and also that I have gotten to where I am today from that. How did you decide on coming to TWU? During my Grade 11 high school provincials is when the TWU coach at the time reached out to me, but at that moment I didn’t really think much of it. At least not until my Grade 12 year when I was really considering my options for post-secondary and what would be best for me. When I was looking at what my options might be, TWU stood out as somewhere that was very similar to the high school I came from. Smaller class sizes, a Christian community, and the fact that I could stay local here in Langley were big draws for me. From there I contacted the coaches at the time, and TWU just really felt like the best fit out of all my options. Tell me about your favourite Track or Cross Country moment. One of my favourite moments has to be from my rookie year after nationals in Victoria. That race was literally pouring rain all throughout, and I just remember crossing the line and realizing that I

truly belonged at this level. I came into that race not knowing where I was going to finish— being a rookie I didn’t really have confidence in myself. But I ended up doing a lot better than I thought I would and even winning Can West Rookie of the year. I remember the massive hug my coach and I had right after, and even though I was super tired and beat up after running 8k in the pouring rain, I really was experiencing that runners’ high, and just knowing all the hard work and long hours had paid off. What are you most looking forward to the rest of this year? In terms of Cross Country, we have the CanWest competition and also nationals left for the rest of the season, so two super important races. We have a very young team this year, so it will be awesome to see the rookies and even the second years who didn’t get to race last year gain some needed experience. Personally I am really hoping to break the 30-minute mark on an 8k run. I’ve come very close a couple times within my career, but just shaving those last couple of seconds off is a lot harder than you might think. So I am really looking forward to seeing if I could get that done. We haven’t heard too much about the Track season in the spring yet, but we should get a couple good meets in before the Can West track competition and hopefully nationals if I can qualify. What does your time after TWU look like? After I graduate, I will be applying to physiotherapy school, as that is my ultimate career goal. In terms of running, I definitely want to still keep at it, but the question is will that be competitive or not. I think my body’s been through a lot injury-wise, so it might be best to give it a break, at least for a couple years. Something on my bucket list down the road is to run a marathon. I know it’s super cliche for a runner, but it is certainly something I want to do. I don’t care how fast I do it, but to say I finished one would be a really cool thing for me.

SPARTAN SPOTLIGHT

JOUEN CHANG What are your year, team, events, and major? I am in my fifth year now, and I run for both the Cross Country and Track teams. Specifically, I run the 1500 metre and 3k races during the track season, and then we all run the same 8k cross country race. I’m also an HKIN major here at TWU.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

HYEONJEONG (BELLA) CHOI

FIGHTER PAY IN THE E-CELEB ERA MAKENA WARDLE

For many boxing fans, the addition of internet celebrities Jake and Logan Paul into the ring is an embarrassment to the sport––a defamation of the authentic nature that prize-fighting has always prided itself on. However, due to the escalating conversation around fighter pay, there may be some significant pros to having e-celebrities as the new faces of the combat-sport world. Logan Paul first entered the professional boxing scene in November, 2019, when he fought YouTuber KSI and lost by split decision. His brother, Jake Paul, followed shortly after with his first pro fight in January, 2020, where he beat YouTuber AnEsonGib by TKO (technical knockout) in the first round. The brothers do have a background in highschool wrestling, but both had only one amateur boxing fight under their belts before entering the professional level, sparking much controversy. The Paul brothers, however, are no strangers to controversy, and were already infamous for their outspoken nature, social media-based antagonism, and occasional illegal antics. Yet, the Paul brothers have recently started to change some people’s minds on their presence in the combat-sport world. This change is mostly due to Jake, the statistically more successful of the duo, pushing for increased fighter pay in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). Though he is a boxer, he is known to challenge MMA fighters––specifically, retired ones. Paul brought MMA fighter Ben Askren out of retirement in April, 2021, where he defeated him via TKO in the first round. Though many have questioned the legitimacy of this fight, it raked in $500,000 for Askren, which is one of,

if not the highest-paying fight in a career that saw him hold championships in two different MMA organizations. This past August, Jake fought retired MMA fighter and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) legend Tyron Woodley. During an interview with MMA Fighting, Jake was quoted as saying, “[W]hile we were building out the undercard, I was like we need to make sure that this fight, these fighters, every single person on the card gets paid the most that they’ve ever gotten paid to fight.” Comments like this have drawn the attention of higher-ups in the world of MMA, such as UFC President Dana White. Unlike the majority of other professional athletes, UFC fighters, despite representing the most successful organization in their sport, are not unionized, resulting in no true standardized pay. Yet they are still contractually tied to the organization and are not allowed to fight in other MMA promotions. Essentially, UFC fighters are held to most of the restrictions you would expect to see in a unionized league, but reap none of the benefits. According to The Athletic’s inaugural fighter survey, 79.4 percent of MMA athletes support unionization, but MMA organizations like the UFC are not looking to make the switch anytime soon. This reluctance is likely due to the fact that in 2019, the UFC brought in $900 million in revenue, and only 16 percent was paid out to its fighters, which falls well below the average for professional sports associations. But Jake is one of the names championing change in this area. “I see how hard fighting is, I see how hard fighters work. The fact that it’s so skewed versus any other sport and it’s the most dangerous sport out of all

of them, there needs to be a change there. I’m actually starting to affect Dana White’s business,” Jake said in the same interview with MMA Fighting. Paul is supporting fighters in other ways, such as donating $5,000 to UFC fighter Sarah Alapar’s training via GoFundMe due to Alapar’s inability to pay for her own fight camp.

“UFC fighters are held to most of the restrictions you would expect to see in a unionized league, but reap none of the benefits.” Jake is expected to fight boxer Tommy Fury, brother to heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury, in December. It was also recently announced that Logan is set to fight all-time great Mike Tyson next February. With this in mind, it seems as if the Paul brothers are going to be the face of combat-sports for the foreseeable future. Hate them or love them, the presence of the infamous duo and other e-celebs is facilitating the conversation around improved pay for fighters in combat sports. This conversation could prove to have long-term ramifications and finally bring some much-needed restructuring to an out-dated pay scale for MMA and combat sports as a whole.

KYRIE IRVING: AN ALIENATED VOICE DIEGO BASCUR

In the dark is when we lose sight of what the light has shown; things that made sense before seem to be lost. This strange reality we live in now has stretched and twisted our values and perception. The world has been shaken, and what we knew as reality before cannot be reality again. COVID-19 has truly distorted what we know as normal.

“This has everything to do with what is going on in our world. And I am being grouped into something bigger than just the game of basketball” This alienation has been embodied in the division created by the vaccine. This division has left us all with a choice, and for some of us it has been a choice which has pushed our beliefs to the breaking point. Kyrie Irving has certainly been tested in his beliefs, and fought against in his choice. There are many throughout the league who have opposed him, and feel his actions are selfish. Stephen A. Smith, a popular NBA analyst,

had this to say: “Who is gonna be interested in what you have to say when you have proven that you can’t even be trusted enough to do your job?” Strong words, however, for Kyrie it seems the vaccination goes deeper than ‘just doing your job.’ The Brooklyn Nets guard, whose handles are a gift from God, has been an enigma since he entered the league. Just like his handles, Kyrie’s persona seems to be from another planet. The artistry we see in his game has woven itself into the way he vocalizes his opinions. A true athlete and activist, Kyrie is very much involved in the world outside of basketball, not afraid to share his opinions with the rest of us. So it should come as no surprise that as the vaccine became mandatory in the NBA, Kyrie swam against the current, deciding not to get the vaccine. This reluctance, however, has come with a price, in the form of both a suspension and fines: a punishment, as the NBA sees it, that fits the crime. Kyrie had this to say about his choice: “This is my life. I get to do whatever I want with this, this one body that I get here. And you are telling me what to do with my body. This has everything to do with what is going on in our world. And I am being grouped into something bigger than just the game of basketball.” Kyrie’s decision has certainly sent shock waves not just through the world of basketball, but the world of sports itself. Kyrie has become a reflection of an opinion shared by many, and has shed light into the division the vaccine has created. This separation can be seen right here at TWU. One Spartan had this to say on the matter:

“When COVID-19 first became a thing, I could see why there were mandates in place, but it’s been over a year now and I believe that the government is just using it as a way to control people. It’s not about protection at this point.” An interesting outlook on the situation, and whether you agree with it or not, this belief is felt strongly enough for athletes to stop doing what they love. This, in my opinion, is a truly valiant act of defiance. It should prompt us to look inward and ask, “how far are we willing to go to stand up for what we believe in?”

“Kyrie’s decision has certainly sent shock waves not just through the world of basketball, but the world of sports itself.” For this Spartan, Kyrie, and many others like them, it means going pretty far. So as we face these crossroads, let us remember what we believed in the light, and hold onto those beliefs to hopefully come out of this darkness and back from alienation.

ALPHONSO DAVIES: AN UNLIKELY FOOTBALL PHENOM TYLER JONES

My family used to be season-ticket holders for the Vancouver Whitecaps. I never cared for Major League Soccer (MLS), nor did I care for any of the players who came through the Whitecaps player development system. Men’s soccer athletes hailing from Canada never seemed to make waves on the international level, so why should I care? My perspective shifted massively one night. This night did not stand out for the quality of the match, nor an exciting result. No, this was something different. This was the future: a glimmer of hope for Canada’s uninspiring international past. This was Alphonso Davies making his debut in a Whitecaps kit. Hearing Davies’ name blare over BC Place’s speakers intermingling with the crowd’s lighthearted excitement still serves as a prominent memory of mine to this day. The crowd, with myself included, had no idea what was about to happen. This glimmer of hope quickly turned into a blur as Alphonso Davies streaked down the left wing with blistering pace. Catching defenders flat-footed, the 15-year-old left-back quickly caught my eye. Davies, who had just broken down the wing in front of thousands of fans, corrupted my mind for a minute as I realized that this was no ordinary MLS product. This was a global superstar in the making.

Corruption slowly turned into belief, which then blossomed into reality. Alphonso Davies started to make massive waves in the MLS, bringing excitement to a Vancouver sporting scene which is often deprived of that luxury. This supposed corruption of my mind was only considered so due to the fact that Canadian men’s soccer has never been a true international giant. Davies was different, and continues to be different.

“What started as a West Coast phenomenon developed into a TSN headline. Canada had arrived.” Transferring to Bayern Munich––one of the world’s biggest clubs––after a meteoric rise in the MLS had turned heads all over Canada. What started as a West Coast phenomenon developed into a TSN headline. Canada had arrived.

The success did not stop there as the blur of pace I once saw from my seat in section 118 continued his run of form at Bayern Munich, playing a key role in their Champions League victory in 2020. Davies has continued to surpass all expectations, putting Canada on the map. With six of 13 World Cup qualifying matches completed to make it to Qatar 2022, Davies and the men’s national team have done the unthinkable, sitting in third place at the moment. Canada can still cling to the fact that there is a sliver of international football relevance that our nation holds at the moment. Davies, alongside many other up-and-coming Canadian names, is a part of a new soccer generation in Canada. One that is developing itself—but most importantly—one that inspires new generations to follow suit. No matter what the result may be, I cannot wait to watch Davies torch opposing sides with his pace, all while sporting the maple leaf crest on his shirt.

A ROAD MOST TRAVELLED: DEFECTING TO FIND STARDOM SCOTT BOWERS

For many young Cuban kids growing up, baseball is a way of life: swinging the bat, throwing the ball, and running the base path becomes second nature. Kids are forever emulating their favourite players in local fields before they are even old enough to attend school. These young Cubans have many countrymen playing in the Show to look up to. Major League Baseball (MLB) superstars like Aroldis Chapman, Yasiel Puig, and José Abreu are among many Cuban-born players tearing up America’s favourite pastime. Yet, the path for these players to make it to this position is unlike anything else you will find in pro sports.

“This kind of money for these players is life changing, but for many, the decision is not that easy.”

ly hitting their prime. According to MLB Network, many contracts for Cuban defectors end up in the range of over $40 million dollars USD, with some players still in Cuba having an estimated value of $80-90 million. This kind of money for these players is life changing, but for many, the decision is not that easy. First off, players will usually have to pay millions of dollars right away to the individuals who helped smuggle them out of their home country. The human trafficking of Cuban baseball players still to this day is one of the most lucrative operations entering the U.S. every year. However, nothing can be done about this situation until players are allowed to leave Cuba freely. Until then, MLB teams will continue to pay top dollar for these ready-made prospects, the U.S. government will continue to grant these players asylum, and the middleman traffickers will still be able to extort large fees for their services.

Due to a history of politically volatile relations between the Cuban and United States governments, Cuban players are unable to leave their homeland freely to pursue a career in professional baseball. Other international players from baseball hotbeds like Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic are able to sign free agent professional contracts once they reach the appropriate age. These players are often signed for less money because they are signed as such young talents. For Cuban players, making it to the MLB looks much different.

The issues of unsafe travel and huge fees are not the only obstacles facing Cubans players who are considering making the jump. As Cuban MLB legend Tony Oliva explains, “I would wish that baseball season would never end… when the season was over and all my teammates would get to see their families, I would get sad because all of my family was in Cuba, and I didn’t know when I would see them.” For players who defect, there is no going back: they are never able to travel home and they are never able to see their families unless they are able to defect too. This often leaves these young men, alone in a new country, where they know very little of the language, to figure things out all by themselves. All while being expected to perform consistently at the very highest level.

Cuban players must defect from their country, and in many cases find an illegal route to escape from their homeland. The lure? MLB teams are willing to shell out millions of dollars for these pro-ready talents just bare-

The situation seemed to be taking a turn in the right direction as recently as 2016 when the U.S. President Barack Obama made a historic trip to Cuba in an effort to repair relations. On this trip, he sat front row with

Cuban President Raul Castro, as the two took in a preseason exhibition game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National team. Since this meeting, however, there has been no real progress in this reconciliation, leaving many Cuban players in the same tough situation.

“This often leaves these young men, alone in a new country, where they know very little of the language, to figure things out all by themselves. All while being expected to perform consistently at the very highest level.” As recently as early October, 2021, nine Cuban Under-23 baseball players defected while at a tournament in Mexico, with the goal of making it to the MLB. There is still hope within the baseball community that one day Cuban players will be allowed to freely move in the international baseball market like the rest of the world. Yet, that day is seemingly very far away.

OPINION: ALIENS DON’T EXIST NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY EMMETT HANLY

either moderate ease or light exertion, and thus could have made Stonehenge if they felt up to it.

feet forward, foisted flawlessly upon the breeze and up into space.

I realize this may come across as an abrasive statement, but hear me out: all evidence of alien contact with humans is sheer bogus beans. Let me give some examples of common pro-alien arguments and some of the simplest alternative explanations for these events. Please prepare yourself to witness my masterful usage of the rhetorical device known as “Occam’s razor.”

Random people off the street that local news stations decided to interview 15-25 years ago related their lived experiences of abductions to the nation. Stories of vivisections and anatomical study are the most common among old news archives and old history channel documentaries, which, to be fair, are a reliable primary source. But a random person off the street could be three Bigfoots in a trench coat, so you can’t really trust anything they say.

Is it possible that life exists elsewhere in our infinitely expanding universe? Statistically, yes, it’s probably out there billions and billions of Buzz Lightyears away. But has any of it visited planet Earth? Heck no. That‘s just a conspiracy from Big Sasquatch, attempting to cover up covert Bigfoot activity from the unsuspecting brainwashed masses.

First, people on the History Channel have long since declared the efforts of whoever the heck made Stonehenge to be the product of extraterrestrial minds, citing the fact that humans would not have access to the necessary technology to construct it. However, these idiots seem to have forgotten to take possible Bigfoot interactions into account. They are strong enough to lift hefty rocks with

You can find video footage of UFOs on the historically honest website double-u double-u dub-ya dot you tube dot com. However, this supposed linchpin of evidence is also easily debunked when you take into account that Bigfoots like to play frisbee, and the frisbee of a Bigfoot is much larger than a regular frisbee. They also throw pretty hard, which could feasibly force a frisbee fifty thousand

Okay listen, all you conspiracy theorists out there. There is straight-up no such thing as aliens and there never will be.

ILLEGAL ALIEN ANNIE ZANDER

Looking at me, not many people would know that I am an illegal alien. First off, they assume I am American. Easy mistake, I guess. That’s the first lesson we learn in our Invasive Species Training. You just say that you’re American and you can get away with anything. They already expect the worst from you. Even better, say you’re homeschooled. They’ll never question you or your oddities. But this only works if you’re not in America. Unfortunately, I landed my ship there, which created quite a predicament for me. Getting across the border was harder than crashing my UFO into a cabbage patch in New Mexico. Swimming Niagara Falls wasn’t easy, but luckily I’m used to the torrential waters and freezing temperatures, being from Uranus. I hitchhiked on the back of a moose across the provinces, using photosynthesis to sustain myself (I almost starved in the Northern Territories). Finally, I reached nirvana—a little shack in the forest, near a bouncing contraption, which I used for entertainment. I had a few months of peace, occasionally straying into human territory. It seems I was near one of their learning

institutions. I decided to try and discover what I could from observing these strange beings, and learned how to mimic their physical form. I consumed enough of their lifeblood, the Black Sludge, to hydrate an entire Saharan village. It gave me the strength to transform into a human female. Luckily, they offered the Black Sludge for free in their holy space, the TWUSA Temple. I was eventually found by the humans, like a raccoon eating garbage, and shooed out of the woods. Apparently having a young humanoid such as myself, living homeless in the Back 40, was a PR nightmare for the administration. They practically begged me to come to the school to save some face. So now I get a human education, and the perfect pool of people to study for my research. Life is good. I still haven’t reached the peak of human existence, the holy sacrament labeled Ringth by Springth, but I think I’ve been passing pretty well. The other day, someone gave me paperwork identifying me as an illegal alien—I thought the jig was up. But apparently they meant the fact that I snuck into Canada, not the fact that I snuck onto Earth. So that’s what led to my becoming a legally alienated illegal, illegal alien.

You can try all you want to make aliens a thing, but I got the facts and logic to run around your meagre little fantasies all day. So you won’t find me looking up into the sky for flying saucers, oh no. I’ll be looking down at the ground for big stinky footprints.

AL(I)EN

ALEX WALKER It’s funny how minor things that seem inconsequential become… consequential. For me, it was slightly misspelling my name at the Lemon Meringue Pie Enthusiasts Convention. When I arrived at the convention, I was so excited to check out the booth about meringue density that I rushed writing my name on my name tag. My name is spelled “A-l-l-e-n,” but, due to a slight wrinkle in my label, a space was left close to the top of the second “l”, and I suddenly became known as: Alien. Once I entered the fair, I was immediately met with surprised glances. It turns out that pie enthusiasts are a gullible breed, and they automatically assumed due to the typo on my nametag that I was an extraterrestrial being. Very quickly, I was arrested by the FB-Pie (The Federal Bureau of Pie), and, after enduring much questioning about who I was, what my intentions were for Earth’s pie, and whether or not I was planning on making a pie out of human feet, I was released from custody and returned to the fair.

After the FB-Pie announced that my alien intentions were not malign, the attendants of the Lemon Meringue Pie Enthusiasts Convention began to welcome me, offering me taste tests and asking my opinions on crust consistency and the lemon filling sweetsour ratio. Because I was now an alien in their eyes and, thus, quite possibly had a truly objective perspective, they began to take my words as gospel and adjusted all of their recipes and opinions accordingly. Today, I am revered amongst lemon meringue pie enthusiasts as the Supreme Lord Chancellor of All Things Pie and have been given a special parsonage by the International Council of Lemon Meringue Pies in which to perform my services. These include: experimenting with crust, filling, and meringue widths, inventing the patent-pending “hot lemon meringue pie,” and praying to the pie gods on behalf of Earth and all of its pie efforts.

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH GRAPE-NUTS? GREY ZANDER

They’re not grapes… they’re not nuts. What’s the deal with them? Never have I been faced with a more controversial question. I can answer questions such as: “Who did you vote for?” “Opinions on the vaccine passport?” But when I am faced with the question of Grape-Nuts, and what the deal with this cereal is, I come up short. In constant and continuous research, the solution still eludes me. I feel the need to ask the general Trinity Western University (TWU) public in order to answer this exact question. First, before we discuss “the deal” of this abomination, we must define the exact nature of Grape-Nuts. What are they? This question is much easier to answer than the former.

cious little nuggets. I would define it as a box of unrighteous lies. There is no reason good enough to justify a misleading name such as “Grape-Nuts.” Who the hell does that?! I expected it to be a bowl of grape seeds (which sounds pretty dope), instead I’m left with a cereal more boring than Raisin Bran. That’s hard to do—it’s friggin’ Raisin Bran—it’s more boring than Raisin Bran. It is literally just wheat and barley. Like what? Can you imagine a more mundane cereal? And so this is the paradox I’m left in. “What’s the Deal With Grapenuts?” I don’t know. No one does. That is the only answer to this question that I’ve found acceptable. In response to what the deal with this cereal is, I simply ask: “Yeah what is the deal with Grape-Nuts?” I hope to one day find a more satisfying answer to this life changing question.

Grape-Nuts is a cereal consisting of wheat and barley, not containing one single grape or nut. Some would define them as a box of tiny, deli-

ALIENATED IN MY OWN HOME BRAEDON GROVER SUNNES Being a straight, white, North American male, I find it hard to feel at home anymore. As I go throughout my day-to-day life, people often treat me as nothing special. I might get the occasional odd glance as I smile without any teeth at the people I pass by, but that is hardly the type of attention I used to get. At one point, I would get radiant smiles from everyone I passed, but now people barely reciprocate my soulless grin as I stroll past on campus. In middle school, I had a lovely ratio and often boasted my follower count to my friends, asserting my hetero-cis-caucasian-normative dominance in every feed I crossed. Now, I barely get 10 likes on my tweets and I feel as though the safety of my social media pages is being yanked out from under me like a blanket for a pig.

Though I would like to “return to normal” in more ways than twelve, I think I just feel utterly defeated as I see people that I relate to in skin tone, rich heritage, sexual preference and orientation disappear from the spotlight. It isn’t fair to lose the culture war when America has never lost before; it isn’t fair to be the center of attention only to have it stolen from you like a suckling babe from a mother’s breast when they get put in that little box after birth or whatever—I have no clue, I am not a woman or a baby. Rather than suggesting the obvious like conversion cleansing or ethnic therapy, I think I’ll just give up. Y’all different folk win, we just can’t keep up with all these social constructs and changes. I’ll be reaching out to my friend Brog Brogasen soon here to get off this planet and go find a place where my normal is different enough to be talked about.

DEAR MORAL KOALA... Dear Moral Koala, All my life I have been told that swearing is bad. The thing is, since I have been at TWU, I keep hearing so many darn fricken cuss words! I was sitting in my dorm lounge today and one of the guys next to me said the real f-word. I thought to myself: “Geez, what the heck is going on here!” My question for you, Mr. Koala, is whether or not swearing is actually a sin. What does the Bible say? Sincerely, Goody Two Lips Dear Goody Two Lips, In Ecclesiastes 7:21-22, it is written, “Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.” So there you have it! Everytime someone around you swears, you hear the words, too, and so they must cross your sinful little mind. The only way to stay pure in times such as these is to unlearn these terrible phrases through harsh ridicule and brainwashing. If you can’t do that, there is no point in fighting it, eventually you’ll succumb to us sinful bastards. With equivocal virtue, Moral Koala Do you have your own questions for Moral Koala? Submit them in the declassifieds!

THE POP CULT PLAYLIST

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

BRAEDON GROVER SUNNES

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